Never the Same
by Ara Moon
Summary: She was a girl, shunned for her gift. With the help of a gym leader, she mastered it. Now, can she live like a normal teenager when the past returns to haunt her? *AU*
1. Prologue

  
**Never The Same**

  
Author's Notes: Okay, this is my first fic. Ever. I plan to make it into an AAMR. The basic outline is set, but if you have ideas, review and I'll try to include them. I've tweaked things a little bit here and there, but this is an alternate universe so it doesn't really matter much. This chapter might be dark, but I don't know 'cause I haven't written it yet. I just noticed that I use the word "but" too much. You've been warned.   
Disclaimer: Whoever believes that I own Pokemon and wants to sue me (which I doubt any of you would) should know that I have no money anymore because of various shopping sprees. However, the plot to this story is mine, with inspiration from many other stories. 

  
Now I present to you...   
Never the Same   
By Ara Moon   
Prologue 

  
I ran blindly, trying to erase the scene that would be forever embedded into my mind. Out the kitchen, through the hall...   
And right into _him_.   
"Leaving so soon, girl?" he questioned, a malicious grin crossing his features. _This is not good, _I mused silently. _Not good at all._ I shut my eyes tight, forcing back all the tears that any normal 6-year old would be expected to cry.   
But I was not normal.   
And that was the fact that cursed me to suffer this fate. I opened my crystal-like sapphire eyes. If someone would have actually taken the time to look deep into them, they would see the emerald shards blended in with the sapphires. But to all those whom saw my eyes without truly observing, they were only two serene aqua orbs that belonged to the weird kid down the street. Plain and simple.   
_Why can't my life be so plain and simple? Everyone shuns me because I'm different than them. I've tried to fit in for years and came pretty close to being accepted. Then one little slip, ONE little mess up and I have to start all over again. And of course, hepunishes me. Why don't they understand? I didn't choose to be this way... _   
My thoughts were interrupted by _his _massive palm connecting with my face. I was shocked for a moment. Then I only felt pain. The pain of the slap, the pain of every last time I was hit, the pain of their taunts, the pain of being alone. Everything began to build up inside. All the self-control I had learned over the years disappeared. I completely lost the serenity that I had had a short while ago. And then, I finally snapped.   
"What was that for?!?" I yelled at him. For a second, he was shocked. Then, the man that I hated so much, smiled. It was a victorious smirk, as if he had accomplished something. And, in a way, he did accomplish something. He broke me.   
"Well, well," he taunted smugly, "Has Little Miss Freak-of-Nature decided to pay attention to me? Good. Now, what was that stunt you pulled out there? You know you shouldn't do that, you little bitch. I think you need to be taught another lesson."   
He slowly walked towards me, each step mocking me, until I couldn't take it anymore. "No!" I yelled at him. He stopped, his smile turning into an angry frown. "What did you say?" he hissed at me. " No," I replied, a bit calmer. "I don't need your 'lesson.' I did nothing but show the true me. Where is the wrong in that?" My words were even and well said, much unlike the other children in town' s speech.   
"Where is the wrong in that?!? You're a disgrace to this family, to this town. Hell, your even a disgrace to the entire area of Kanto! It is still a mystery to me why you had to be born. I have had enough bad luck as it is already. It's all that mother of yours'fault. I always knew that she slept around... "   
That hit a nerve. A very, very _sensitive_ nerve. "Stop!" I yelled. He can abuse me all he wants, but my mother is off limits! "Leave her out of this! I'm just as much your 'fault' as I am hers!" _Did I just say that? Oh no... I'm dead._   
I gulped, regretting the words I said. Then again, I didn't. Or at least most of them. I told the truth and spoke my mind. But, after all these years, I had learned to never talk back. Ever. A few simple mumbles and I'd barely be standing. Yelling at him... well, I didn't want to be thinking about that.   
In one swift movement, I was pinned against the wall. His hands were as strong as a Pidgeot's talons, so it didn't help that they were wrapped around my neck. _Why did I have to open my big mouth? He's never been this mad before. Maybe it's because I argued with him. I've got to get out of here. And fast... _   
"Your mother was a slut. _You _are not my child! I have no fucking children, do you hear me?!?" Well, I could have expected that, but I hadn't. "I'm just taking care of you because it's the law!"   
"Taking care of me? Yeah, right! And since when have you _actually_ respected the law?" _Oh, God, no... I just said that out loud, didn't I? He's going to kill me, I just know it! Help me... _   
His eyes slit into an angry glare as he released a punch to my abdomen. I snapped forward, but was slammed against the wall again by his hand, which he still had wrapped around my neck. He let go of my throat. _That wasn't as bad as I tho-_   
I thought too soon. He went into an all-out hitting frenzy, slapping and punching and kicking and kneeing, as if I were a punching bag. My head and face were bleeding badly, and I had huge bruises covering my chest and limbs. At that point, I was silently praying for it all to stop. _One little mistake and I'm a goner. It wasn't completely my fault. Now all I want is to escape. Someone, please hear me. I'm only a child! I want to live. But it hurts so much... _   
An angel must have been watching me that day because the pummeling stopped. I fell to my knees, coughing. My hands hit something warm and wet. _So, I'm bleeding that bad._ I had gotten used to the sight of blood, but being covered in it still made me queasy.   
My vision was blurred by pain. Pain and the trickles of blood rolling down from my forehead. So all I saw was a lavender flash before I collapsed against the wall. I was still conscious after the beating and, with difficulty, opened my eyes. There stood an angel. She had no wings, no halo, no silken white cloth or golden necklaces adorning herself. This angel merely had a shimmering red jewel. For this angel, _my _angel, came in the form of a Pokemon.   
Her deep purple eyes were narrowed, glaring at him. She was my only hope, the only thing standing between him and me. My angel seemed to notice this, and took a fighting stance in front of me. Her tail with the twin tips wriggled and twitched with impatience. I could tell that she was waiting for him to make the first move and to step into her trap, but he was too blind to notice.   
"What is this puny thing supposed to be? A deformed cat? Ha, you two freaks deserve each other!" He walked towards my angel, trying to scare her away. But, even though she stood barely three feet tall, she held her ground. Her towering adversary did not like that.   
"Move it, you goddamned fur ball," he called to my new-found friend, "or else I'll send you to Hell with the dirty bitch!" When she didn't move, he kicked her. I cringed, knowing the pain of his kicks. _My poor little angel. Please be okay... _   
What happened next surprised me the most. My fragile angel came out unscathed. She looked up at him, and then surprised us again. **_Is that the best you could do? For a Hell-sent demon like you, that was just pathetic. _**I heard the words clearly, but her mouth never moved. That didn't trouble me much, though. Her voice was soft and gentle, floating through my mind like the wind. My Angel of Serenity.   
However, he was not as happy with this angel as I was. "H-how did you do that? Y-y-you're a demon! What do you want from me?!?" Once again, the angel's voice floated through our heads. **_I am not the demon here. Even the child knows that. And I merely wish that you would stop this madness now._**   
He had greatly calmed down by now, noticing something he hadn't noticed before. "Ha. You don't scare me. You are just a worthless Pokemon, and a Psychic one at that." **_Wow, you sure fooled me,_** she said while rolling her eyes. The man, whom knew he had been insulted, charged at her. "Watch out!" I called, finally getting my voice to work. But I hadn't needed to worry. She was a Pokemon, and a strong one at that. She only had to use Quick Attack and he was out.   
**_Let's go before he wakes up, _**she said. **_Besides, you need serious medical attention. _**Me, being as stubborn as I am, said, "I'll be fine." Of course, I lost my balance after that. She caught me when I fell. _Okay, so maybe I do need help... _   
**_You got that right, little one. _**That was the third major surprise of the day. "You can read my thoughts?" **_Yes, little one. _**"So that's how you knew... " I broke into a coughing fit at that point. **_Ssh, little one. We can talk through our minds. _**"Oh. I mean... " _Oh. Okay. So, will you stop calling me little one? I dohave a name._   
**_Oh really, little one? And what would that be?_**   
_That name, my angel, was Umi Mizuhana. But, since I don't think I'm ever going to live that life again, you can call me... Kasumi. Kasumi Mystica Yawa. And what's your name?_   
**_Well, since we are starting over... My name was Espeon. Or, rather, my species name. But you can call me what you always call me: Angel, or rather Tenshi. Mama always called me that._**   
_Okay, Tenshi. Now, can we go somewhere to rest? I'm really tired. After all, starting over is a hard thing to do. And the moon is already starting to rise!_   
**_Well, Little Misty, you can sleep. I may be a sun Pokemon, but I love the night. You can rest while I take you to begin your new life... _**   
_You mean **our **new life, Tenshi._   
**_Yes, our new life. So, where should we go? There's Viridian, Pewter, Cerulean, Vermilion, Lavender, Celadon, Fuchsia, Cinnabar, Indigo, and Saffron. Actually, Saffron is probably the best place for you. Lots of people, good food, very far away from Pallet... Oh, and the gym leader there is very nice. She could help you with your gift. And we might even get a free room!_**   
_That sounds good. New names, new homes, now all we need is a new story. Any ideas?_   
**_Well, as for your injuries, I don't know... amnesia! You've lost you're memory! It'll be perfect for a new start._**   
_What about you? They'll take you away from me at the hospital. And it wouldn't be right to keep you locked up in a pokeball... _   
**_Don't worry your young mind, Misty. I've got it covered._**   
_That's good to know. When do you think we'll get there, Tenshi? I'm really tired._   
**_Soon enough. Now go to sleep. We've got a long road ahead of us._**   
_Well, goodnight then Tenshi._   
**_Goodnight Kasumi. Sweet dreams._**   
That night ended the life ofUmi Mizuhana. I heard that her face was pasted on the back of milk bottles everywhere. After about five years, they gave up. I don't blame them. I've changed a lot since that incident.   
It's been about 10 years since I ran away. Tenshi and I were found, unconscious, on the steps of the Saffron Gym. I had lost a lot of blood, and they believed the whole amnesia story. The gym leader, Sabrina, took me in. I told her the story of my childhood. She completely understood and, well, here I am. Kasumi Mystica Yawa. Tenshi is here with me, too. She turned out to be a baby whose family was killed by Team Rocket. Sabrina took her in as well.   
I've been home schooled so that no one would notice me. Of course, no one would notice me anyway. I've finally mastered my gift. And, someday, I know I'll need it. Life is about as normal as it could be right now. However, I know that _he_ won't rest until my dead body is in his hands... 

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Author's End Notes ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Well, do you like it? It took about five days of on/off working. The end was rushed because I'm really supposed to be doing my homework. ^-^; Now comes my questions:   
1) What do you think will happen to Kasumi and Tenshi? and   
2) Do you want songs in the next chapters? If so, what songs?   
Any other ideas are welcome. And, just to get it out of the way, THIS WILL NOT BE AN ORIGINAL TRAINER FIC! I don't really like those too much, just too hard for me to grasp... Oh, and the ideas for this fic were given to me by some of the best ficcies (and their authors) out there. Well, I've got to go or else my mom will catch me. Bye! ~Ara Moon   
*Umi Mizuhana is _supposed _to mean "Ocean" and "Waterflower." My beta reader suggested I use "Anime-ish" names, so I dug out my good ol'Japanese dictionary. If those words mean anything different than what I had hoped, kindly excuse them. I'm only an American preteen with a Japanese dictionary. ^_^; 

  
~~~~~~~~~~~*@*@*@*@*~~~~~~~~~

  
I typed this up a while ago so I thought I'd leave it as it was. Tell me what you think!   



	2. Whisper in the Wind

**Never the Same**  
  


Author's Notes: Hi, everyone! Welcome to the second installment of Never the Same. This shouldn't be as dark as the prologue, and will contain some of my lame humor. Really, REALLY lame humor. As in every chapter, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.  
Disclaimer: Okay, how many people that own Pokemon would bother writing fanfiction? FANfiction. F-A-N. Not many, or any, at that. So, get the point? Okay.  


**Now, Pikachu, would you do the honors?**  


_PI-KA!_  


**Alrighty, then.**  


_Pi pika pi pi chu pika...._  
  


**Never the Same**  


**Chapter One-**  


**Whisper in the Wind**  
  


My hands were stretched flat, on the end of extended arms. Wind whipped around me. I was in the center of a whirling shield. Words of unknown origin flowed through my head. My hair was like the night sky, black with gold spots that almost glowed with pale light. Raven eyes glared through the wind at a mysterious stranger. And the wind was cold. So cold....  
It was then that I realized that I was not in control of my own body. I couldn't move my hands. I was frozen in place, and a voice was laughing. _My_ voice. Someone, some_thing_, was using me. And, in some dark corner of my mind, I knew exactly what it was. Some untouchable dark corner. _Come on, _I thought. _You've trained for years. You've gained complete control over yourself. So are you going to let this thing rule you?_  
I struggled to move my hand. It twitched briefly, and the wind slowed. In a moment of freedom, my lips mouthed the word, "Ash...." _Why that word?_ I wondered. Then it regained control over me. I felt helpless.  
"Fight it, 'Sumi! I know you can do it!" the mysterious male called. "You're in there somewhere! Don't give up hope. I'll save you!" Somehow, I trusted him. I knew exactly who he was, and what he meant to me.  
"Aishiteru, ima to itsu mo," I mumbled. His eyes widened, and he stepped forward. My tormentor regained control after that moment. In a double-toned voice, it made me say, "We end this _now_." 'I' raised 'my' hands and energy began to form. The wind was sucked into it. Water, fire, stone, dark energy, plant energy, lavender flashes, a multicolored storm of death. My eyes glinted dangerously. **_Kasumi, stop this! _**Tenshi called. But it was too late. The mysterious stranger looked at me sadly, his eyes trailing down to an odd gem in the dragon claw necklace that had appeared around my neck. "I love you, too, Misty. If it must end, let that be known. Now and always.... koibito."  
The energy built up, up, up.... and engulfed the mysterious love I never knew. I couldn't stop myself. And he never even moved. He excepted his fate so easily. I collapsed to the ground from lack of energy. "Search for me, for I am waiting for you...." a voice whispered, light as the breeze. "Wataru kaze to issho ni...."  
**_Kasumi, I'm sure you're enjoying your lovely dreams, but it's time to wake up. I smell tuna!_**  
With that, she pounced on me. Or, rather, my foot. What in Kanto possessed Sabrina to buy _tuna_? It was too early, anyway. I opened one eye partially, glaring against the morning sun to see my bedside clock. _It's only 9:30, Tenshi. Leave me alone...._  
I closed my pale silver eyes, falling into sleep. Seconds later, I snapped open my aqua ones and bolted out of bed. "Why is it that no one tells me anything?!?" I screamed while digging through my dirty laundry in search of my training uniform. Jeans, tee-shirt, dirty unmentionables, socks, Tenshi's Rattata toy, Teen Kanto Magazine, my shoe.... _Where was it?_  
Meanwhile, Tenshi was dancing and chanting **_"TUNA, TUNA, IT'S A TUNA KINDA DAY!" _**over and over until I thought my head would explode. I saw the red fabric of my training uniform sticking out from under the infamous furball's feet. "Oh, Tenshi...." I called in a sing-song voice. She stopped dancing, looked under her, and hopped off, still chanting. "One of these days, I'm going to strangle you. You know that, right?"  
**_Mm-hmm. Can I have my tuna now?_**  
"No! Wait 'til later! I've got training now!"  
**_Aww. That's mean, Kasumi-chan._**  
"Argh! What were you doing in here this morning, anyway?"  
**_Tuna? Oh, umm, Natsume-sama said something about canceling 'cause you've been working hard, so I went to take a nap. Then I smelled the tuna, and since it's behind the cabinet door, and I can't move it, I came to ask you. I guess I forgot._**  
I stopped pulling on the black tights and reverted to telekinesis. If we were going to argue, we'd have to keep it quiet. Sabrina didn't like it loud in the house. _You forgot. How could you forget? Just for that, I should burn your tuna.... _I smirked.  
The effects were immediate. The purple Espeon eyes she had gotten from her species widened into huge orbs. **_NOOOOOO! Not the tuna! Please, NO! I'm SOOORRRRYYYY!!_**  
Tenshi was probably the oddest Pokemon I had ever met. On our journeys, we saw insane boxer-stealing Mankeys, a Jigglypuff that gave makeovers (via her Marker-a-phone), and a Tangela with straight vines. Compared to Tenshi, the rest were as common as Pidgey.  
_Fine. _I smiled warmly at her. My eyes flashed lavender for a brief second, just enough to creep out the tuna maniac. _Let's get breakfast._  
We lived in a pretty weird home. In the one of the largest buildings was the training center. Amateur trainers and budding psychics learned there, under the "Mistress of Psychic Pokemon," Saffron Gym leader Sabrina. From that building branched off smaller apartments, where the students stayed. As for Tenshi, Sabrina, our housemate (we'll get into him later), and me, we stayed in a small house in the very corner of Saffron. The door was connected directly to the gym, the largest building in our "little town," as Tenshi called it. The separate rooms in the gym were connected by a maze of teleporters.  
Trainers had to battle every warm up trainer unless he (or she) could sneak by unnoticed. On a few occasions, we had kids get lost for days. Which is why we had bathrooms conveniently placed around the gym.  
Tenshi hopped along ahead, still chanting. Her tail swished back and forth, causing it to hit me in the leg. I could smell coffee floating up from the kitchen. _This isn't good,_ I projected to Tenshi. Sabrina, being older than me by only three years, didn't like coffee much. She only drank it when something was wrong. And if the coffee fumes were strong enough to reach up the steps to my nose.... **_Did the world just end or somethin'? _**Ah, good ol' Tenshi, always there to say exactly what you were thinking. _Maybe, Tenshi. Maybe...._  
Sabrina was sitting down in the kitchen, reading the Saffron Times and guzzling coffee like there was no tomorrow. _Maybe Tenshi was right,_ I thought to myself. "Hey, Sabrina," I said nervously. "What's up?"  
It took her a second to look up, but when she did, it was clear that she hadn't slept at _all _the past night. Her crimson eyes were bloodshot and red. The usually straight purple-tinted hair was knotted and tangled. Somehow, her skin was even paler than usual. And she kept re-reading that _damned_ newspaper article....  
"I'm afraid I've got some bad news," she slurred out. She struggled with the words, doing her best to wipe out the sleepy tone in her voice. "Need.... more.... coffee...." With that, Sabrina sat up and dragged herself to the coffee maker, pouring out another mug. It probably didn't occur to her in her sleep-depraved state that she didn't have to move, for she was psychic and her mind could bring it over easily. She jolted awake after that and acquired a serious stance.  
"Ahem. As I was saying, I've got bad news. Look at today's Saffron Times." She handed me the paper and I scanned through the page. Nothing of interest. Dear Jenny, Ask Joy, "The Stock Market Numbers," "Mysterious Pikachu and Hatboy Save World," the usual. I raised an eyebrow. "What does the stock market and some 'Hatboy' have to do with me?" I asked.  
Sabrina simply flipped a page and started reading aloud:  
"In the past three weeks, several murders have taken place in the Kanto region. Bodies were all of similar traits: orange-red hair, blue eyes, young and female. The murderer has left a trail of bloodshed from the quiet town of Pallet stretching all the way to Cerulean. The Saffron security has been tightened a notch, with guards protecting the entrances and exits. All those that enter or exit the city must have ID with them at all times and are checked before getting anywhere. We caution trainers to be on guard and to delay all traveling until further notice."  
"S-s-so-o?" I stuttered. There was _no way _that this was happening. It ended so long ago....  
She read on:  
"In other news, Team Rocket has decided to take this time of need into their advantage. Other than their usual thievery and scams, they have been connected to several other disappearances, murders, break-ins, and threats. Police action is being taken immediately. It is truly a sad time in the fine lands of Kanto...."  
I gaped at her, wide-eyed. "No.... This isn't happening. It can't be happening. It- it all ended. We're free of this nightmare. It's over. They're wrong!"  
"It's true, Kasumi. He's back."  
  
  


*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>)To Be Continued(*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>  
  
  


Wow. My first cliffhanger. At least, I think that's what it is. I honestly did not expect this chapter to turn out this way. I had so many more "ideas flying out of my... fingers. Yeah, fingers..." I highly doubt any of you know where THAT quote came from. Only one of you would....~_^  
Anyway, every chapter of this fic will have questions, whether relevant or not. Review and answer them, and you get a cookie. *puts out bucket of Kebler Fudge Elves*  


_Help! Let me out! I don't like want to be digested!_  


**Oh, shut up, you double-layered chocolate snack.**  


_You ate my brother, you barbarian! I will avenge his death!_  


***takes a bite***  


_NOOOOOOO!!!_  


Heh. Anyway. Too much sugar. ^_^ Hope you enjoyed chapter one, the next chapter will be out soon!  
Questions:  
1) What couplings do you want in this lil' ficcie of mine? -and-  
2) Should the next chapter be angsty or funny?  
Well, Chapter Two should be up soon. Until then, Ja ne!  
  


~*-*-*-*-*-*-*_Japanese Guide_*-*-*-*-*-*-*~  
  


Well, this is a guide for all of the Japanese terms and phrases used in this chapter. Let it be known that I am NOT Japanese and my source is a Japanese/English dictionary, and therefore I translate horribly. Of course, I have an obsession with Japan, and insist upon using its language in my fic. These are the rough phrases and words:  
~ "Aishiteru, ima to itsu mo...."- "I love you, now and always...."  
~ "Koibito"- lover. Why "lover?" You'll see....  
~ "Wataru kaze to issho ni...."- "Together with the blowing wind...."  
That's it. At least, I hope it is. ~_~; Oh, and you can find the definitions to -chan and -sama almost anywhere, so I'll leave it to your "searching pleasure."  
Once again, ja!  
*Arigatou gozaimasu to eyeguy616 for beta-reading for me! Without you, I would have never gotten any of this thing up. Thanks.*  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Somewhere In My Memory

  
**Never the Same  
  
**

Author's Notes: Hello, everyone! Thanks for returning for the third installment of Never the Same. Well, first of I'd like to thank: eyeguy616, Scrat with a G, Cradlerobber Speedo-chan, Astrala, Umbreon (Master of Darkness), Cowgirl Ed2002, bronwyn, and dana-chan. You all have given me the energy to get typing this chapter.   
**Note: Okay, I'm confusing myself with the names… All actual names will be Japanese, and their nicknames will be English, or Japanese. Notice how Kasumi calls Natsume Sabrina? That's her nickname for her. (ex. Kasumi, "Misty; 'Sumi-chan;" Ookido Shigeru, "Gary, 'Geru-chan.") Your friends might have a lot of nicknames for you (Ara, Ari, Moose), but you only have one real name (Arianna.) I hope I haven't confused you all entirely.**   


Now, without further ado, the fic!**  
Never the Same   
Chapter Two-  
Somewhere In My Memory**  
  
  


"…He's back."   
I stared at her in disbelief. What _else _could I do? My nightmare had returned. After all these years, he was back. And worse than ever, as the newspaper showed.   
"Wha- what are we going to do? What if- what if he finds me?" I managed to stumble out. I was filled with sheer terror. I felt like a bug in the center of an empty room, wanting to run but having no safe place to hide._ I've been running all these years_, I thought. _I've hidden, but I'll never be safe. Ever.   
_Sabrina noticed my reaction and tapped into my brain. She sent a shock wave of calm emotions and pictures. That was the best part of being psychic. You could transmit emotions and pictures as well as thoughts back and forth. As soon as I was calm enough, she answered.  
"Don't worry. He won't find you. I won't let him." She smiled at me. Sabrina's smiles were rare, making them all the more beautiful and mystifying. They lit up her pale features and made her eyes shine. I couldn't help but smile back.  
"How will we keep him from finding me?" I asked. I couldn't help but wonder what her plan was. My mind was completely void of ideas, so I was depending on hers.  
"It's too dangerous for you to stay here," she said. "He'd expect you to be on this path if he's drawing so much attention with the murders. So… I'm thinking Johto would be best." _So…looks like I'm on the run again,_ I thought.  
"What will I do once I get into Johto? I can't just wander. He'd expect me to be a loner, so I can't be on my own." I wasn't really too angry about having to leave home. I knew I could return once the threat was over. Of course, that might be months, even years, considering the measures that psycho was going through to catch me.   
"Well, you'll have to seem normal. And what would any normal girl your age be doing?" I thought for a minute. I was restricted in my contacts, in case something like this would occur. The only other sixteen-year-old I knew was an egotistical jerk. I shot Sabrina a puzzled look. She sighed.  
"Honestly, you need to get out more. Normal girls your age," she said, "would be going to school." I laughed. Me? Going to school? Surrounded by giggling buffoons and macho jerks? Not a chance.   
All my life, I had been home-schooled. When I was little, my 'father' was too ashamed to even allow me out of the house, let alone teach me, and as soon as I escaped, Sabrina tutored me. How normal would I seem to the other students when I went to… wherever in Johto I was going?   
That brought on another question. "Wait- where in Johto am I supposed to stay? I have to have an address, you know. And if you think for one minute I'm going to stay in an orphanage-"  
She cut me off. "Obviously, you'll need an address. I'm not stupid, you know." I glared at her. Sometimes, she was like a mother. Other times, she was like the sister I never had. Either was annoying as hell.   
"I'll set your residence up soon. As soon as I ask his permission…" She smirked. _Who could this guy be?_ I thought. Whomever it was, it couldn't be too bad…  
A voice called from the stairs, "So, I'm thinking eggs this morning. How 'bout you?" Sabrina smirked. My eyes widened.   
"NOOO!" I yelled, realizing just who I'd be stuck with. The owner of the voice stepped out from his spot on the stairs. He raised an eyebrow.  
"O-kay, then. How about toast?" I glared. Ookido Shigeru stood there, wearing his heart boxers, "Guess What's Hot," apron, and his trademark yin-yang necklace. I probably would have laughed, had I not been so horrified. I would be stuck with _him_? Now way in Hell.   
He looked at me. "What? Do you not like my beautiful outfit? It's all the rage in Johto," he said, that arrogant smirk eternally plastered on his face. I rolled my eyes, then turned to Sabrina.   
"Come _on_, Sabrina. I'll do anything, just don't stick me with _him_!" Her eyes glimmered with an evil shine. Obviously, she was prepared. I wondered what had happened to the whole, "Kasumi's life is in danger, let's be serious," part of my day.   
"Well…" she started. "We _could _send you to live with your 'sisters…'" I gulped. My "sisters" were Sakura, Ayame, and Botan Yawa. Although we weren't blood related, they shared the same surname as I had chosen, and that formed a good cover for me. If asked, I could say that I was the fourth Sensational Sister of the Cerulean Gym. They weren't horribly mean, just… extremely annoying.   
I glared at her. Shigeru looked back and forth between us, then asked, "All right, what did I miss? And, while I'm asking, toast or eggs?"  
Sabrina turned to him. Then, in her commanding tone, said, "Misty here will stay with you when you return to school in Ecruteak. Any problems with this, Shigeru?"  
I held my breath. Maybe I could be sent to live with someone else, instead… He shrugged, and I knew my wishes were futile. "None at all. What's the occasion?"  
"Misty's father seems to want to track her down. Have you read the news yet?" He shook his head, and Sabrina passed him the paper. As he read, his eyes widened. He was one of the few people that knew my secret.   
Back when I was only eleven, I started to work as one of the "warm-up" trainers in the gym. Shigeru was just starting his journey, as cocky then as he is now. The other trainers were off teaching their classes, so I was in charge of battling him. That was before I went off to train, so I only had Tenshi. It was a one-on-one battle. He chose an Eevee against its evolution. It was nighttime then, so Sabrina was off to teach her seminar.  
Naturally, Tenshi beat the little furball, and Shigeru trudged off into the night. I felt sorry for him, and offered to let him stay the night. He was probably the only friend I'd ever had in my life. Sabrina allowed him to stay with us whenever he wanted to. During breaks from school, he'd visit. He really wasn't so bad. He could just act like such an arrogant jerk sometimes.  
Shigeru was a caring person on the inside, with a strong sense of loyalty and friendship. You just had to look past his mask. I knew he cared about me, as I cared for him.  
He turned to me, and said quietly, "So… when do we leave?" I turned to Sabrina. That same question had been on my mind, too. I wanted to know how long I had to explain it to Tenshi… _Wait a minute, whatever happened to the fuzzball? _I thought.  
I looked around. The distinct lavender fur stood out against the plain brown steps. While I was dealing with life or death matters, Tenshi decided to take a nap. Typical feline nature.   
Sabrina decided to answer Shigeru's question after my search ended. "Tomorrow, if possible. Then she'll stay for about a year or so. We can't take any chances." She turned and looked at me. "Shigeru and I need to discuss the arrangement further. Go start packing."  
I bowed respectfully, as I had learned to do when she went into okaasan mode. "Yes, Natsume. Shall I get my Pokemon, too?"  
She nodded, and I left. It was strange, how she had that dominant power over people. Perhaps it was her psychic abilities. As I walked by, I scooped up the sleeping Tenshi. It was strange… My life had been turned upside-down, and it was barely ten AM.   
I entered my room, dropped the Espeon on my bed, and dug around for my red-orange bag. The abrupt falling seemed to awaken her. _**Akuma-koi…? **_she mumbled sleepily, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes with her paw and yawned. Had I not known the deranged furball so well, I might have thought she was cute.  
_No, not your beloved Umbreon, Tenshi. It's Kasumi. About time you woke up_, I said mentally. My voice was getting tired of being used this morning. She groaned. _**What's up? I figured I didn't need to hear it then, so I decided to take a nap. **_I rolled my eyes. _All you do is sleep.  
**I do things other than sleep!  
**Oh, yeah? Like what?  
**I battle for you, I chase Akuma-koi-  
**And that's _such _a difficult workout. Really. I feel sorry for the poor guy.  
**Hey! You've never experienced true love like I have! If given the chance, you'd act the same way!  
**Oh, really? I would never chase after some guy. I'll never fall in love!_  
Akuma was Shigeru's Umbreon. Tenshi had taken a liking to him shortly after meeting him. Of course, she just glomped him repeatedly, never telling him how she felt. We were constantly arguing about issues of love. She would always tell me that I would fall in love, someday. Who would have guessed that the three-foot-tall furball would be right?  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_**  
**_

  
I stared at the crimson sky. I had spent the whole day packing and explaining to Tenshi everything that was happening. She was strangely calm about it. _Probably because she gets to spend more time with Akuma_, I thought. I hadn't had much to pack, but I had to remove every trace of myself from the house. It looked as though I had never been there. It was strange, feeling as if you hadn't ever been to the place where you had lived most of your life.   
I walked out the back door of our house. Behind it was a large garden, planted by Erika before I came. I spent most of my childhood there, wandering through the flowers and plants. It was peaceful and relaxing, and I felt like I could escape all my problems, if only for a little while.  
After I passed the roses, I remembered a special place in water. I headed towards it. Lilies and other flowers were surrounding it, making it truly beautiful. It was my secret spot, my secluded getaway from when life got too hard.   
In this huge garden, the pond was well hidden from everyone else. I would swim there in the summers, and huddle on the covered bench in winter. Right now, however, I just sat at the water's edge and ran my hand through it.   
Memories seeped into my mind. I remembered how I would hide out there when my training got too tough…  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


My body was shaking with unshed energy. Sabrina wanted me to learn to deal with the pain and not slip up, but… it was so hard not to give in. I could hear Tenshi cheering me on, feel Shigeru looking on in awe as my hair whipped around my face, see the room through closed eyes and an open mind.   
I was at the very limit of my strength. Sabrina, however, wanted me to push harder. The pain was unbearable. My body was doing things it wouldn't naturally do if I was someone else. That was something I often wished. To be someone else…  
With a final burst of energy, I collapsed onto the gym floor. I was hyperventilating, but Sabrina didn't seem to care. She walked up to me, face emotionless, and said, "You could have lasted longer. Try harder next time. Do you understand me, Kasumi?"  
I was in so much pain, I could have laid there for the rest of my life. But I nodded anyway and said, "Yes, Natsume. I understand." She walked out of the room, calling Shigeru to follow. Tenshi came rushing up to me and Shigeru glanced sympathetically at me before following Sabrina.  
She nuzzled my cheek. _**Are you all right, Kasumi? **_she asked, and I nodded weakly. I stood up, wincing as I did, and walked out the opposite exit as Sabrina. "I'm fine, Tenshi. I'm just going to go for a little walk around the grounds," I called back to her.  
I ended up in the garden that night, and the next. I was contemplating running away, but came to a difficult point: I had no where to go. My only home was the gym. No orphanage would want me, and I had no birth family anymore. I was alone. All alone, with only myself…   


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


I fell asleep that night laying there. Tenshi nudged me awake the next morning. She was the only other one who knew about my hiding place. It was about six AM, and she was anything but gentle about it.   
_**Why the hell didn't you tell us you were going to be gone so long?!? I was so worried! I thought he got you, and then I-  
**_I smiled gently at the feline. I had learned since the training incident that, although my biological family was long gone, I always had Tenshi and she always had me. Despite our quarrels, we were as close as family could get.   
"No need to worry," I said. "I'm alive, aren't I? Come on, let's go. 'Geru-chan will be mad if we're late."   
She looked like she was about to say more, but didn't. Instead, she just rubbed against my ankles and walked along beside me in silence. I looked up towards the water-colored sunrise and knew that this was the beginning of a whole new chapter in the story of my life.  
  


~*~*~*~*~*(^_^)*~*~*~*~*~   
  


Wow. FINALLY finished. This still isn't getting to where I wanted it to, but that's fine. It's progressing well. ^_^ Well, like mentioned in the beginning, thanks to all that reviewed and then some. I'm getting these out as fast as my stupid computer will allow. As always, I'm leaving you with questions. Anyone who answers gets a free cookie. *puts out basket* Ja!~~  
1) Should I start some sort of in-fic contest?  
2) Who would be bothered if I included shounen-ai/shoujo-ai   
  


~*~*~*Japanese Guide*~*~*~   
  


This chapter's words/names/phrases:  
okaasan (okaa-san)- mother  
Kasumi- Misty  
Shigeru- Gary  
Natsume- Sabrina  
Sakura- Daisy   
Ayame- Violet  
Botan- Lily  



	4. The City Calls Your Name

  
**Never the Same  
  
**

Disclaimer: Any of the randomly inserted songs in this chapter are not mine. I just felt like… randomly inserting them. Heh. But, remember kiddies, the moose is mine. ^_^;  
Author's Notes: Thanks to all that reviewed so far! Your opinion really matters to me. And, boy, am I gonna end up with one weird fic… Cageshipping, Squintshipping, and Flirtshipping… all original shippings. Is there a contest that I can enter this into? "Most Fan-Created Shippings in a Single Fic…" Heh. Too much chocolate.   


_**If you're too high on chocolate to introduce the fic, can I? PLEASEEEEE???   
**_*hic* Sure. I'm gonna go lay down.   
_**But if you lay down, who will write the chapter?  
**_Tenshi, shut up now and do it. If you don't I'll lock you in a room with Megan…  
_**NOOOO!!!! All right, let's get this ficcie started!  
**_That's better.   
**Never the Same  
Chapter Three-**   
**The City Calls Your Name  
  
**

_**Are we there yet?   
**_Both Shigeru and I turned around and glared at her. "NO!" we yelled in unison. We had been traveling for less than three minutes, and Tenshi was already getting restless. A restless Tenshi equals a very pissed off Kasumi, with a mallet. Beware of very pissed off Kasumis with mallets. They sting.  
The plan was to take the Magnet Train to Goldenrod, then follow Shigeru's secluded Sudowoodo forest path to Ecruteak, where I'd be living with him. All in all, it would probably take an overnight journey. Nothing too difficult… unless there were bugs…   
Shigeru came to an abrupt stop next to me. We were inside the station, and just in time. Grabbing Tenshi, we flashed our passes and boarded the empty train. It started moving, and we got ourselves comfortable for the long ride ahead.   
"Are you okay?" Shigeru asked. "I mean… about all this. Everything's happening so fast, and-" I smiled at him. It was nice, feeling that someone cared about me. "It's fine, 'Geru. I… he's ruthless, but I expect that from him. It's a shock, sure, but it'll all turn out okay. Now, tell me about school in Ecruteak. You got a girlfriend yet?"  
A faint blush appeared on his cheeks. He mumbled something that sounded remotely like, "Maybe I do, maybe I don't." I laughed.  
"Aww… I'll find out once we get there. But it's not very nice to keep secrets from me, 'Geru-chan. Tsk-tsk-tsk…"  
He smiled. It was strange how we could be such close friends, and still go at it like there was no tomorrow. Maybe for me there wouldn't be…  
I shook the thoughts from my head. They wouldn't do me any good. I looked down and saw Tenshi curled up near my foot, sleeping. _That furball could sleep through anything_, I thought. I turned towards Shigeru again.  
"Tell me more about Ecruteak. I want to know as much as possible. After all, I _will_ be living there for a while…" He thought for a second.   
"It's not really a very busy town like Saffron, but it's not too boring," he said. "There's the Kimono Girls' gym of dancing trainers, and the Burnt and Tin Towers. Plus, if you know your way, you can get to Goldenrod and Olivine easily. But Ecruteak is a pretty traditional town. Our house is not huge, but it's relatively large considering the fact that there are only two inhabitants, as of now." He stopped, and we sat in silence for a _long_ while, before he got up and headed towards the conductor's room. He opened the door and asked, "Hey, do you have some music on this thing?"  
The conductor grumbled, handed him a control, and shoved him out of the room. He smirked and turned it on. A song started playing, and he quickly went to change it. I smiled evilly and grabbed it from him, raising the volume on the train's speakers.   
"**All right…Yeah…(All right)…**"Shigeru looked at me pleadingly. But he knew I wouldn't give. The look on his face was _hilarious_. **  


"I know that you know that I can't stop watching you  
I feel it, believe me, I know you feel it too  
Oh-oh-yeah  
  
"There's something about me that you don't know about  
I'm someone that somehow you seem to be without  
  
"Is it so hard to see that I'm not invisible?  
Feel like a fly on the wall  
  
"So if I get a little crazy  
Look a little spacey  
Blowing kisses your way  
Will you think I'm OK?  
Set the sun on fire  
Scream a little higher  
Hold you in the moonlight  
I say yeah if you say all right  
  
"I might not be special, not like your superman  
But living and loving, well that I super-can--"  
  


**   
By that time, I was singing along. Shigeru took that opportunity to grab the remote and change the song. He looked relieved. "Super-can, eh? How can you like this music?" he asked. I smiled dreamily, clasped my hands, and said, "But they're all so _kawaii_!"  
He rolled his eyes. After fiddling with the dials for a few seconds, a new song played. He looked at me, and I looked at him. We shared a grin and then started singing a duet to the song I had forced him to learn. Shigeru started:  


**"I'm going out tonight - I'm feelin' all right  
Gonna let it all hang out**  
**Wanna make some noise -- really raise my voice  
Yeah, I wanna scream and shout**   
**  
"No inhibitions -- make no conditions  
Get a little out of line  
I ain't gonna act politically correct  
I only wanna have a good time"**  
**  
**

By then, the conductor was giving us a look that clearly stated: "You are both insane. I can't wait to get to the station so you can get the hell out of my train." I had to restrain my laughter as my part came up. Man, was this fun… **  


  
"The best thing about being a woman  
Is the prerogative to have a little fun and…

**  
  
**"Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy -- forget I'm a lady  
Men's shirts -- short skirts  
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild -- yeah, doin' it in style  
Oh, Oh, Oh, get in the action -- feel the attraction  
Color my hair -- do what I dare  
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free -- yeah, to feel the way I feel  
Man! I feel like a woman!**   
  
**"The girls need a break -- tonight we're gonna take  
The chance to get out on the town  
We don't need romance -- we only wanna dance  
We're gonna let our hair hang down"**   
  
Shigeru raised his voice to a falsetto feminine tone, and I joined him in the next lines. The train conductor started coughing, and looked nervously back at us. Meanwhile, we were having the time of our lives. If you've never messed with a complete stranger before, you should try it. It's fun.   


  
**"The best thing about being a woman  
Is the prerogative to have a little fun and…  
**  
**"Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy -- forget I'm a lady  
Men's shirts -- short skirts  
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild -- yeah, doin' it in style  
Oh, Oh, Oh, get in the action -- feel the attraction  
Color my hair -- do what I dare  
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free -- yeah, to feel the way I feel  
Man! I feel like a woman!"  
**  


I almost pitied the conductor. Almost. Tenshi had woken up, and decided to take the next verse, which scared the man even more. I was on the verge of falling on the floor laughing and never getting up again. **  
  


_The best thing about being a woman  
Is the prerogative to have a little fun and…  
  
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy -- forget I'm a lady  
Men's shirts -- short skirts  
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild -- yeah, doin' it in style  
Oh, Oh, Oh, get in the action -- feel the attraction  
Color my hair -- do what I dare  
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free -- yeah, to feel the way I feel  
Man! I feel like a woman!  
_  


** Together, we sang the last verse. The conductor was eyeing the door, regarding whether or not to jump. I think insanity is contagious…**  


  
"I get totally crazy  
Can you feel it  
Come, come, come on baby  
I feel like a woman!"  
  


** Just then, the train pulled into the Goldenrod station. Laughing, Shigeru and I ran out, luggage and Tenshi intact. Several boarders looked at us oddly, to which we smiled insanely and yelled, "Moose!" They quickly turned away. This sent us into a new outburst of laughter. We ran out of the station and out the northern exits of town. Once outside, we paused to catch our breath. From there, we resumed a slow walk to Ecruteak.  
Shigeru checked his watch. "It's about one-thirty. I think the conductor didn't like us very much, 'cause he just made sure we wouldn't get to Ecruteak until tomorrow. Oh well," he sighed, and then smiled mischievously at me. "But… that _was _a hell lotta' fun."  
"Yeah. It was." We smiled, and started singing again. There was a long road ahead, but we knew we were going to make it.  


  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


"This looks like a good place to camp for the night," Shigeru said, collapsing to the ground. It had been a long walk, and we had to stop uncountable times to get rid of persistent trainers and attacking Pokemon. Luckily, we were almost there. I unrolled my sleeping bag next to his, and set out Tenshi's mat. She could be such a spoilt brat sometimes…   
Shigeru and I went off into opposite parts of the clearing to change into our pajamas. Tenshi just stayed in the middle, whining about not seeing her "Akuma-koi" in such a long time.  
Sighing as he returned, Shigeru mumbled something about regretting this later, and released his Umbreon from its captivity. Tenshi immediately perked up, and proceeded to glomp the poor night Pokemon. I sweatdropped.  
"Um… Tenshi? Please let go of Akuma. He needs to patrol the area, to make sure there's nothing dangerous nearby." Tenshi pouted, glared at Shigeru, then jumped onto her mat. _**I'll be waiting for you**_, she called to him as he ran into the night. I smiled, and scratched right behind her ears. She purred gently, curled up, and fell sound asleep.   
"Finally!" Shigeru exclaimed. "I thought she'd be at it all night! You really know how to handle her." He yawned, and scanned his eyes around the area. "What do you say to collapsing and passing out as soon as Akuma returns with the 'status report?'"   
I yawned. "Sounds good to me." Rolling my shoulders and cracking my neck, I said, "Man, was today long. I can't wait 'til we get there!"  
Tenshi turned in her sleep, so I reverted to telekinesis. Although Shigeru didn't have strong psychic abilities, he could still project thoughts to me by concentrating on them, so they stood out to me.   
This time, we yawned in unison. As if on cue, Akuma came back into camp, signaling that the area was clear. He gave us a smile that only a Pokemon could make, and curled up next to Tenshi. _Aw... so kawaii! _I projected to Shigeru. He rolled his eyes.   
_::Everything is kawaii to you!::_   
_No. YOU'RE not kawaii, now are you?  
::Nope. Not kawaii. Just damn hot!::  
You are such an arrogant baka.   
::Why, thank you! You're so sweet!::  
Oh, shut up.  
_With that, we both collapsed onto our makeshift beds, hoping for a good night's sleep. We rolled so that our backs were towards each other. After a while, I felt Shigeru sinking into slumber. With a mumble that sounded remotely like, "He Roshi," he was asleep. Before I could think about this thoroughly, though, I, too, fell into sleep's grasp.   


  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


Running. I was… I was running, but everything nearby was blurred. I only saw the hands, the face, the body I had come to know and hate so well. It was _him._ My feet stopped moving, and he approached. Since my feet refused to move now, I glared at him and spit at his feet. He smirked arrogantly, as he always had, and said, "Why, Umi, long time no see. Look at how you've changed since I last saw you! Come, give Daddy a hug."  
He was still smirking that arrogant, vicious smirk, and I continued to stand my ground. "_You_," I said hatefully, "don't _deserve_ to be called 'Daddy.' You don't even deserve to live!"   
The man I had devoted years of my life to hating was unfazed. "Believe what you want… sweetheart." He walked up to me, and ran his fingertips under my chin. I stood like stone, glaring straight ahead. "Why don't you make this easier for yourself, and for me, and just come willingly with me to Headquarters? That way, we can avoid any problems."  
I glared. "Why? So you can just kill me there, you dirty bastard?" He mocked being shocked, and said, "Now, why would I _ever _want to kill you, daughter, when you could be so… useful?"  
_Useful? _I thought. _How am I useful? I've always been dirt to him. Something's not right...  
_ "Come on, sweetie," he said. "I've got much work to do, and you're my key to doing it. Let's go."  
Still, I held my ground. "No way in Hell!" I growled, concentrating on the dirt around my feet. He would not, could not, and never would control me…   
All around me, the ground began to shake. Light seeped through the cracks in the ground, and boulders lifted into the air. My body was shaking with the strain and the weight, but I managed. My eyes, which had previously been closed, snapped open, glowing with a deep mud color. I straightened my body and yelled, "Rock Throw!" All the boulders went flying, straight towards the target…  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


"Kasumi! Come on, we've got to get moving! I swear, if you don't wake up soon, I'll…" Shigeru, of course. I sat up, glaring at him. "You'll what? Sing?"   
He smirked. "You guessed it." He cleared his voice, and, in a high cracking country voice started, "Oh, Miss Susie, now don't you cry for me, 'cause I come from good ol' Kanto with a Vulpix on my knee…"   
I covered my ears. "All right, all right, I'm up! Just make the pain go away!" We laughed. My mind had completely left the dream. I didn't think about it for a while, in fact.   
Shigeru and I got changed, and went right back on the rode. We hoped to make it all the way to Ecruteak and get unpacked today, then sign up for school the next day.   
Hopefully, everything would turn out okay in the end. But only time would tell…   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


It's FINALLY done! Woooo! I thought I'd never finish. ^_^ Well, this chapter is dedicated to **Scrat with a G**, for all her ideas, and just because her birthday is April 30th, the day I finished this. Happy birthday, Scrat, and enjoy!   
Today's Japanese words are "kawaii" and "baka." They, respectively, mean, "cute," and, "idiot." That's all for now. ^_^  
Okay, now for my questions:  
1) Want me to write bloopers for this? (ideas are appreciated. ^_^)  
2) Who is your favorite non-main poke-character? (Todd, Hiroshi…)  
That's it for now! Ja!~~  
  
  
  


**  
  
  
  
  
  
**


	5. Nice to Meet You, Good to See You

  
  
**Never the Same  
  
**

Author's Notes: Well, thankies to all that reviewed so far! Ah, and I see I have some loyal readers… Wow. I feel so loved! ^_^ Special thanks to Beauty Julianne, for all the information she's given me. It helps a lot. Well… now who can I get to introduce this chapter? Ah, Scrat-chan can!  


***looks around and taps microphone* Is this thing on?  
**Yes, it is.   
**O_O)) Ohhh... okay, so what do I do now?  
***sigh* Scrat-chan, please introduce the fic.  
**Ohhhh... Okay, so, since Ara asked me to, I currently hold the honor of introducing Ara Moon's fic, Never the Same. So... here is *dramatic music* CHAPTER FOUR!  
YAY! *falls over from the excitement, microphone squeals loudly* ...ow... ^-^  
***claps* Very good! And... cameras off, cut sound!  
**^___^ Did I do good?  
**_Jesse (Dream Street bishonen): Ehh... *starts to say some sarcastic smart-ass remark*  
_**Shut up.**  
_ **  
**_Never the Same  
Chapter Four-  
Nice to Meet You, Good to See You  
  
  


After a long day and a half of traveling, I was tired. I didn't change into a new outfit for some reason, so I was wearing the same yellow shirt and jean shorts as I was when this whole fiasco started. And, damn, were those suspenders itchy. _I swear, once we're in Ecruteak, I'm getting a new fashion sense_,I thought to myself. Luckily, we were only about ten or so minutes away from our resting destination. Everything was going easily and just as planned… _   
_Suddenly, I felt the ground below me give way. _Thought a little too soon, _I said to myself. Tenshi, Shigeru, and I fell into a deep whole in the ground. Two booming and fairly annoying voices cut through the dust and leaves swirling around us.   
"To protect the world from devastation!" A somewhat arrogant female voice.   
"To unite all people within our nation!" An unusually feminine male voice.   
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"  
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"  
"Musashi!"  
"Kojiro!"  
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"  
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"  
"Me-owth, that's right!"  
They struck a pose, and the female voice laughed maniacally. "Now hand over the Pikachu, twerp, or--" She stopped, looked down at us, and the male popped up behind her. "Uh, Jess, I don't think that's the twerp…"  
She whipped out a mallet and smacked him with it. "I know that, James! But they _do_ seem to have a rare Pokemon or two…" Her eyes trailed to Tenshi, who, in turn, glared at them. _**You wanna fight? I'll fight ya, but you may not live to tell of it…  
**_The humans looked at her nervously. However, their Meowth went starry-eyed and said, "Oh, wow! Another Pokemon dat can talk! I never knew dat dere were any othahs… Ooh, and dis one's a girl Pokemon!" Tenshi spat, and glared up at him. _**Okay, that's it. You are gonna die.   
**_ She began to charge up a psychic blast. Now the whole group above got nervous. _**Number one,**_ Tenshi said, growling, _**I'm a Psychic Type. I project thoughts using my mind, you idiot. **_A large purple ball appeared over our heads. _**Number two, if you even have the slightest thought of us getting together, you are wrong. Why? Well, that brings us to number three. **_The purple ball had expanded so that it nearly filled the whole entrance of the hole. I mentally told the Espeon to tone it down a little, so that we wouldn't have a murder on our hands. She grudgingly complied, then said, _**Now, Number Three is… **_She launched the glowing lavender ball towards our frightened would-be Pokemon thieves. _**I'm in love with my Akuma-koi!   
**_The three flew off with a yell of, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" and a little "tink" noise. I turned to Shigeru.   
"You're the king of this town, 'Geru. Tell me who the hell _they_ were, and what exactly they were _on_." He laughed, looked at the still-pissed Tenshi, and spoke.   
"_They_ were the wanna-be villains of this town. If you get to know them, they can be nice, and sometimes help the good guys. They're just… weird. Don't like this one Pikachu much, though. So now they're obsessed with capturing it. They're minor league members of Team Rocket, but not part of the big picture." I was a little freaked out about just coming in contact with members of Team Rocket, but Shigeru assured me it was okay. "They're practically harmless. Plus, they're friends. Well, not with me, but with 'the twerp and gang.' You'll get a lot of laughs from them."   
As we started off to the city, I remembered something. "Hey Shigeru?" I asked. He looked towards me.   
"Yes?"  
"You never _did _tell me what they were on…"  
We laughed as we crossed into Ecruteak's borders.   


  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


The first thing we did when we got to Ecruteak was go to Shigeru's house. Obviously, he wasn't planning on returning with a guest, but we made a somewhat livable room. His house was _huge_ for someone living alone, but that wasn't surprising, considering he was the grandson of a great Pokemon researcher. My new room was almost twice as large as my old one. Plenty of room to fill with things for Tenshi to break…   
I unpacked quickly. It wasn't like I had had a lot to pack. Most of my bags were filled with Tenshi's things. I grabbed a new outfit and headed into my new bathroom, starting up a bath.  
Tenshi was lying on the floor outside my room's sliding door, playing with a piece of yarn. I nearly tripped over her, but she didn't seem to notice.   
_**Pretty nice place Shigeru's got here, eh? Look at all the space! So many shiny objects, too… **_She grinned a mischievous grin. Just then, a yell of, "Tuna time!" came from the kitchen. Tenshi looked towards the kitchen, and, with a call of, _**Save that tuna for meeee! **_was off. I chuckled quietly to myself.   
The feel of the water against my skin as soon as I had stepped into the bath was welcomed. It felt very cleansing and calming. Water was a second home to me. I cleaned my hair and body, and just lay in the bath for a while. I finally got out when Shigeru called for lunch.   
"So…" he said between bites, "how do you like your new home?" I smiled at him. "It's great! How do you afford to live here?" I helped myself to seconds as he continued.  
"Gramps is a respected Pokemon researcher, and has helped with many issues over here in Johto, so they let me stay here, no charge." After shoveling more food in his mouth, he looked up at me. "Say… want to meet your new neighbors?" I nodded excitedly, and headed off to get ready.  


  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


With the opinions of Tenshi and Shigeru, I finally decided on an outfit. It was my gym uniform, but I could pull it off. It basically consisted of tight black flood-cut pants, a tight crimson top that went up to mid-throat with yellow trimmings on the flaring sleeves, and a yellow-gold belt with a triangular point at the end that pushed up and out my… er, cleavage. It was somewhat dark and gloomy, but so was the weather. Typical late-fall cold spurt.   
I walked out of the house into a gust of wind and leaves. The streets were deserted, except for the few leaf-rakers, who turned and stared. I looked to Shigeru. "Eh… are you _sure_ I don't look weird?" I questioned. He barely looked in my direction as he answered. "Nah. They stare at all newcomers. Now come on!"  
He grabbed my hand, and we ran towards the Pokemon Center, Tenshi not far behind. As soon as we got in the door, we encountered another strange sight. A tall boy, with spiky hair and no visible eyeballs, was talking to the Nurse Joy, and then dragged away by the ear by an annoyed blonde. "Takeshi, how many times have I told you…" she growled. He just smiled nervously. "Sorry, Domino. I guess I forgot." Four of the five members of their group sweatdropped. Then one noticed Shigeru and I.   
"Hey, Shigeru! New girlfriend?" a boy with ebony hair said, grinning. At that, a brunette in the back of the group looked at Shigeru worriedly. Their eyes locked together, and I could feel a deep bond between them. My companion smiled briefly at him before turning to the boy who commented.   
"Nope. She's just a friend of the family's who'll be staying her with me for a while." That was the story he and Sabrina had decided on. Ebony Hair and Squinty gave him skeptical looks that clearly said, "Yeah, sure…" A girl with fiery red hair and bluish-green eyes stepped in front of the group.   
"Hi!" she said cheerfully. "I'm Scrat Kaji, and these are my, er, 'friends.'" She looked at the blonde, who turned away grunting. "Uh… the black-haired guy with the hat and Pikachu attached to him is Satoshi, the brunette behind him is Hiroshi, and the disgruntled blonde is Domino. Beware of Domino," she warned, winking. "She bites."  
I smiled at her. The blonde grunted again and marched out of the Center, though no one seemed to care. I could tell that, of all my new acquaintances, Scrat would probably be my first new friend. Clearing her throat, she continued.  
"Ah… and this," she said, gesturing to the male who had been dragged away from Nurse Joy earlier, "is Takeshi. He's gonna be the greatest Pokemon breeder in all Johto, and all of Kanto, too! Plus," she said in a dreamy voice while edging closer, "he's a major hottie!" Scrat giggled, then said, "So… who're you?"  
I took a deep breath. _Here's my big chance_, I thought. _A whole new beginning, all over again... _"My name is Kasumi. Kasumi Yawa, the youngest of the Four Sensational Sisters of Cerulean Gym. When I was little, I went to train under Natsume Yamabuki in the Saffron Gym. I used to want to be a water master, but I've expanded my horizons a little since then." I smiled, then said, "And the little furball by my feet here is Tenshi. She may look innocent, but watch out. She's really a crazed lunatic." At that, Tenshi pouted. _**Am not…   
**_The group looked at her in disbelief. "What… none of your Pokemon can communicate in English?" They all shook their heads. Tenshi looked up at me. _**Wow**_, she said. _**Does that make me special? **_I sighed.   
"Tenshi? Go play with some of the other Pokemon and give us some human time, okay?" She looked up at me. _**How much tuna is involved? **_she asked privately. _Two whole cans if you leave now, _I replied. She scurried off quickly.  
"Sorry 'bout that. She can be a tad bit annoying sometimes." I smiled nervously at them. "So… what Pokemon do you have?" The one Scrat introduced as Satoshi seemed excited by this question, and reached for his belt. He called out a Pikachu, a Chikorita (that immediately glomped him,) a Charizard, a Noctowl, a Bulbasaur, and a Butterfree. They were all happy to see him.   
Scrat called out her Pokemon. Her party was much smaller, consisting of only a Vulpix, a Growlithe, and a Flareon, but they were very pleased to see her, too. I smiled at their trainers. "Wow. I'm impressed. They're all so healthy, and cute!" I picked up the Vulpix. Scrat noticed what I was doing, and yelled, "Stop!" but it was too late. I was flame-throwered. I coughed, and dropped it. She "Vul'ed" cutely before walking back to her trainer.   
Scrat smiled nervously. "Heh. Sorry. Vulpix is a little… rude to strangers." She quickly scooped the Pokemon up, scolding it. "Vulpix, be nice. She's new." The fire Pokemon Vul'ed stubbornly. "Yes… I _know_ she touched your tail, but still…" She sighed, and I smiled.   
"She and Tenshi would make great friends," I said, laughing. At the sound of her name, said psychic furball came scampering over. _**You called? **_she said. I sighed again, and said, "Tenshi, meet Vulpix. Don't touch each other's tails, and you'll be great friends." They looked at each other, and began a conversation in their native language that I didn't care to translate.   
The human group started walking as they talked, their Pokemon trailing behind. The one Scrat called a "hottie," Takeshi, and the brunette, Hiroshi, had left their Pokemon in the care of a teacher, Ms. Suzie Yuki, so they didn't release theirs. I left most of my Pokemon in the care of Ookido-hakase, only bringing Tenshi along. Shigeru released Akuma, the only Pokemon he had with him at the time. Tenshi introduced herself to the Flareon, Aesta, so the Eevolutions (plus Vulpix and Pikachu) held their own separate conversation.   
"So…" Satoshi asked, "When are you starting school?" I thought for a moment, looked at Shigeru, then said, "I don't know. Probably when you all get back from the extended weekend." Thinking of that, I said, "Aug, Shigeru, don't you think we ought to fill out my forms now?" He nodded and, Pokemon in check, we bid them our farewells, heading towards the Ishied-Kamo High School to register.   
Well, introductions were made, and I was all ready for a new beginning. After all, hadn't I suffered enough already? It was time to add a little fun to my stressed life. If I only knew the excitement and terrors that would surface before that year was through…  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


Whoo! Finished! Well, wasn't that a random lil' chapter? I've gotten writer's block so many times while writing this… Well, I'm still working on the bloopers. If you've got any ideas, send 'em along. Ah, and the high school name? Roughly, in my demented mind, means "Stoned Duck" in Japanese crossed in English. Twas inspired by the great Tempral Bouncer. Thanks to him, Scrat, Eyeguy, and all those who reviewed! More'll be out soon!  
Questions:  
1) What do _you_, the readers, want to happen in the future?   
2) Er, um… *thinks* What is your favorite kind of cookie?   



	6. When the Lights Go Out

  
**Never the Same  
  
**

Author's Notes: Ah, Chapter Five at last! Well, thanks to all that have reviewed so far. I never thought I'd get six reviews, let alone thirty-one… Arigatou! I'm trying to get this thing moving along, but those of you who've read this seem to like the way it's progressing.   


****WARNING: FLUFFINESS AND RANDOMNESS AHEAD. BEWARE!****   
  
Now, without further ado, the fic!_  
::Shigeru here. Since Ara passed out from lack of sleep while typing this,  
I have to take over. Lucky me... Well, here it is.::  
_**Never the Same  
Chapter Five-  
When the Lights Go Out  
  
  
**

"Oh, no! I'm LATE!"  
Shigeru and Tenshi looked on in amusement as I scrambled around the house early Monday morning. It was my first day in a new school, and I wanted to make a good impression. Akuma was helping me, somehow managing to pack my bag while my own Pokemon just sat and watched. Luckily, I had experience rushing from my time training with Sabrina. I was ready in no time.  
I was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a blue shirt instead of my old suspender outfit. As I said, I wanted to impress, not horrify. We flew out the door, meeting up with Satoshi and the gang. Scrat was babbling about to how kawaii Takeshi was, and said male was sweatdropping.   
I didn't fail to notice how Hiroshi and Shigeru "casually" walked next to each other, or how their skin "accidentally" brushed against the other's. Or the secret, loving smiles passing between the two when they thought no one was looking. That's the advantage of being a psychic. You see _everything_…   
Well, almost everything. Like those cinnamon swirls in every bite, or the fact that your worst fear could be glaring at you from around the next bend… I shuddered. Sabrina assured me that I would be safe, but it's impossible to see everything…  
I suddenly felt a jacket wrap around me. I looked up to see Satoshi's warm chocolate eyes looking into mine. "You look cold. It might take you a while to adjust to the climate change. I know it took _me_ a while."   
"You mean you haven't lived here all your life?" I asked. That surprised me. It seemed like he had been here forever.   
"Nope. My mom and I moved here from Pallet Town when I was little." I shuddered again, this time at the mention of the town. The town where it all started… He smiled playfully. "I told you that you'd be cold…"   
I smiled back at him. He seemed to just have that power over me making me smile no matter what. "What about your dad?" I asked. "Didn't he come with you?"  
Satoshi's face saddened a little. "No," he whispered. "My dad died. He was Kanto's Pokemon Master, Red, and they sent him on a mission to the mountains. He was killed by a wild Kangaskhan because he stumbled too close to her young. That's why we moved here. Too many memories in the small town…" I frowned slightly as we walked.   
"I'm sorry, Satoshi. I didn't know…" He stopped me. "It's okay. I don't remember him much. He was gone so much when I little, I barely even knew his face. All I've got as a reminder of him is this hat on my head." He smiled at me, and I smiled back. It was then that I realized that he still had his arms wrapped around me, and that our faces were inches apart. We blushed, and quickly separated. The rest of the walk was in silence.   
Scrat was still babbling and Hiroshi was still smiling when we got to Ishied-Kamo High School. While the others headed off to their assigned lockers and classrooms, I was greeted by my student guide. She was a little shorter than me, and had long turquoise hair pulled into two thick pigtails. And she was very scary…  
"Hiyas! I'm Imite, and I'm gonna be a Ditto Master! Welcome to Ishied-Kamo High School. Do you have any Pokemon?" I smiled and nodded, but told her I only had one with me. "That's okay! We're only supposed to keep one or two with us while in school. I keep my Ditto Duo out all the time!" I looked at her nervously. She was _way_ too cheery.   
Leading me through the halls, Imite handed me a map and a schedule. She also showed me how to open my locker and gave me my textbooks. As soon as she saw a boy with brown hair and a camera hanging from his neck, she said a hurried goodbye and hugged him. I could still hear her giggling as I entered my first period classroom.  
Almost as soon as I entered, the room fell silent. Typical new kid behavior. I heard a few boys whistle and wolf-call, but they were silenced by the teacher. I walked nervously to my seat, still feeling all eyes on me.  
"Now, class, this is Kasumi. She's new to the town, so please be nice and introduce yourselves." The rest of the day went pretty well. I met up with the others at lunch, and Scrat explained school politics: who was popular, who I should stay away from, what foods I should stay FAR away from, and such. I was surprised when the last bell rang.   
Walking home that afternoon was… interesting, to say the least. Takeshi was going heart-eyed over all the passing girls, Scrat was dragging him away, Hiroshi and Shigeru were unusually happy, Satoshi was having an argument with his Pikachu, and I was pondering the fact that none of us had backpacks, let alone homework. When I asked cheery-Shigeru about this, he told me that the students protested in previous years, and the principal gave in. I sure wasn't complaining.  
We walked to the Pokemon Center so that the others could pick up their Pokemon. Mine were still with Shigeru's grandfather, and all I really needed with me was Tenshi. True, she was a little crazed, but she was reliable, and a great friend.   
After the Pokemon Center, we all split up to go home. Satoshi and Hiroshi shared a house, Scrat and Takeshi were next-door neighbors, and Shigeru and I lived together, too. He was still grinning, and I had a sudden urge to slap him out of it. I didn't have a chance, however, because as soon as we walked in, Tenshi pounced on me.   
_**How was school? Make any new friends? Get a boyfriend? Is _he_ here? Did anyone hurt you? If they did, ooh, I'll…**_   
I sweatdropped. "I'm fine, Tenshi. Everything went well. Calm down, okay?" And she did, then left for the kitchen.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  


  
Friday had come quickly, but the break was welcomed. The school was remodeling, so it would be closed for a week. I was ready to sleep that week away. All the nervousness from my first week of school was taking a toll on me.  
The group planned to meet up that night and help at the Pokemon Center. The weather was cooling down quickly, and it looked like snow might hit soon. Because of this, many Pokemon were injured, especially fire-type and cold-blooded Pokemon.   
I was brushing my hair, getting ready for the volunteer work, when Tenshi walked in. The first thing I noticed was that the usually hyperactive fluffball was shy and quiet. The second thing I noticed was that she was dragging a box of spaghetti in her jaws. I blinked and looked at her. _**Er, Kasumi… **_she began, _**Could you help me? I can make the sauce, but boiling water without thumbs is hard… **_I raised an eyebrow and set a pot of water on the stove.   
"Any particular reason why you're making spaghetti?" I asked, turning on the stove. She blushed lightly through her lavender fur. _**Uh… n-no reason, no re-reason at all! **_Tenshi smiled nervously, and I sighed. "I'm not even going to ask…"  
The others were working hard when we got there. Shigeru and I quickly went to work, our bodies covered in snowflakes. It was difficult, but we kept working. Just when everything started slowing down, we were hit with a busload of injured Pokemon. The icy roads caused the bus to flip, and most of the Pokemon on board were injured. Since the accident occurred in between Ecruteak and Olivine, each town got half of the load.   
Satoshi and I paired up to work on a sick Raichu. Takeshi thought she might have a cold, but she was moaning a lot more than one with a cold would. We were about to call Nurse Joy when I realized what was going on. "Satoshi…" I whispered, "That Raichu is in _labor_!"  
I grabbed medical gloves and tossed a pair to Satoshi. When I told him, he looked pale, so I called Scrat and Tenshi over. We gave her all the needed painkillers, and set her up as comfortable as we could on the table. Tenshi used her psychic abilities to keep the evolved electric's pain down while Scrat helped air Satoshi. Nurse Joy wanted to help us, due to the fact that we were inexperienced, but she was busy with a Charizard whose tail had frozen. "Don't worry," I called, "we can handle it!"  
Satoshi looked nervous. "Is a live Pikachu coming out of _there_?" he questioned. I smiled at him. "No, stupid, eggs come out of there. And Pikachu isn't the first stage of Raichu, you know…" He still looked nervous, and I sighed, tapping into his mind, searching for the problem. "Don't worry. It's not the same with humans. Although some Pokemon are mammals, they give birth to eggs. They do keep some human traits, though, like nursing and raising their young." After that, he calmed down.  
Hiroshi called Scrat over to help with an injured Vulpix. The Raichu was almost through, though, so we let her go. "Ready, Satoshi?" He nodded, patting the soon-to-be-mom's head, stroking its nose. "Then let's do this. Raichu? Push as hard as you can."  
The Raichu complied, and soon she had a litter of six white and orange eggs. We let her relax, and wiped some of the sweat off her. Tenshi couldn't help any longer because she was needed with Shigeru's "patient," so we had to put Raichu back on painkillers. Nurse Joy walked over to congratulate us.  
"That was very good, considering you're not a nurse! Where'd you learn to do that?" I smiled, wiping sweat of my forehead and taking of my gloves. "Back home, Natsume would often need to give her or her pupil's Pokemon immediate medical help, so I was taught by Saffron's Nurse Joy. And, as you can see, it really comes in handy."  
She smiled, nodded, and rushed off to assist Takeshi. I was getting tired out by all the work, but I was hanging in there. "Kasumi," Satoshi said, "Do you think we could take a little break? We're both tired, and there aren't too many patients left." I nodded, and we both collapsed at a table.   
I closed my eyes gently. Suddenly, I heard gasps, and I opened them. Unfortunately, there was no light to welcome me. I felt Satoshi move closer and grab my shoulder. "Are you okay?" he whispered in my ear. I shivered at the warmth and nodded.   
Nurse Joy tried to keep everyone calm. "Don't worry. There's a blizzard out there, so I would expect we'll be stuck here all night. Now, everyone get the Pokemon into their rooms and meet back here in the lobby. Then you'll pair up into rooms. No girl-boy pairs."   
We quickly wheeled, carried, and pushed the Pokemon into assorted medical rooms. Then we regrouped in the lobby and partnered up. It ended up being Scrat and me, Satoshi and Takeshi, and Shigeru and Hiroshi. Tenshi found her own small room next to mine that was available to her and Akuma, which she excitedly claimed. Then we all sat in a circle, drinking hot cocoa that was warmed before the blackout.   
"Well," Nurse Joy said from her spot, huddling under a blanket, "It could be much worse. We could have been stuck out there." Everyone nodded in agreement. Satoshi's Pikachu used her electricity to spark a gas lantern, and we used that for light. We were each huddled under blankets. I shared mine with Satoshi, and I was unusually happy for someone caught in a Pokemon Center in the middle of a snowstorm. I had never felt this way before, so light and free… I shook my head lightly. Maybe I had a disease… I'd have to ask Sabrina about it when she joined us here.   
Nurse Joy looked at the two of us. "Oh, the Raichu you helped wanted to thank you. She hadn't, er, _planned_ to have young yet. She was wondering, since you two make such a good team, if, perhaps, you would care for one of her eggs." We looked at each other, then blushed.   
"Sure. Tell her that we'll take good care of her baby Pichu!" She smiled at us, handed the egg to me, and winked. "You know," she whispered in my ear, "Satoshi and you make a really cute couple!"  
I looked down, blushing as red as my hair. I mumbled a few random words, then looked up. Satoshi was looking at me questioningly. "What did she say?" he asked.  
"N-nothing, nothing at all!" I said, in the same tone as Tenshi had earlier. He looked at me strangely before turning back to the others. Scrat was playing rock-paper-scissors with Shigeru, who was loosing badly, Takeshi was conversing with Hiroshi and Nurse Joy about breeding techniques, and Tenshi was no where in sight.   
"So…" I said to Satoshi, trying to start a conversation. The silence was too tense. "So…" he replied. We laughed nervously.   
"What're we gonna name this thing when it hatches?" I searched my mind for a good name. Something different, something that would fit it…  
"I don't know. I guess we'll decide when it's born." His Pikachu, who was previously curled up next to him, stretched and, with a yawn, walked over to the egg. She sniffed it, ears twitching, then curled up around it. She looked up at me. "Pi pika, Pikapi," she said. Satoshi turned crimson. "Will you shut up, Pikachu?" She shrugged her shoulders gently before falling asleep. I could have sworn she winked at me before she closed her eyes…  
I searched my brain. Realizing I was doing it backwards, I searched Satoshi's brain.   
_Argh... stupid yellow mouse. I'll have to take away her ketchup for that remark... _I scanned carefully, making sure I didn't read any thoughts I didn't want to. I didn't like intruding into other people's minds too often. _Why did she have to say that? I'm lucky Kasumi can't understand her. "Nice catch, Satoshi," she says. I... _That was enough. I exited his mind, then blushed lightly at what the electric mouse said.   
I shook my head gently, and shivered. It was very chilly, and the baka next to me kept hogging the blanket. _The incredibly kawaii baka... _I thought. Then I shook my head again, this time harder. _That's it. I'm diseased. Or deranged. Or insane. Or all three...  
_"Hey, are you okay? You keep shaking your head…" I nodded my head, saying, "Yeah, I'm fine. A little cold, that's all." He moved closer, putting most of the blanket around me. "There. Better?" I nodded, and smiled. "Thanks, Satoshi."  
He smiled back. "No problem. And you don't have to keep calling me Satoshi. We're friends." I looked at him. Friends…   
"All right, _Sato-chan_," I said, playfully. "Fine, _'Sumi_." He smiled at me. The nickname sounded so familiar, yet it was buried in the depths of my mind, as if from a dream. I shook it off as Nurse Joy stood up.   
"Grab your stuff, kids. Curfew time, and even if we are snowed in, it still applies." We all groaned. Tenshi was still off somewhere, and I was enjoying being so close to Sato-chan… _Dammit! I am definitely talking to Sabrina about this virus...  
_Scrat and I walked into our room. It consisted of two beds next to each other, separated by a table. She flung herself down and started getting changed into the pajamas Joy had lent us. I went to the opposite corner of the room to change, despite the fact that it was pitch black in the room. I heard her scramble into the bed closest to the door, and I did the same into the one by the back wall.   
"G'night, Kasumi," she mumbled before turning over. "Oyasumi nasai, Scrat-chan. Yasashii yume…" Before I knew it, she was out like a light. I sighed and tried to sleep, but I couldn't. A long while later, I heard sounds outside the door.  
The door creaked open, and footsteps leading to each of our beds were followed by hushed voices saying, "Shh…" I pretended to be asleep, which wasn't too difficult. Then I heard Takeshi's voice. "She's so beautiful when she's asleep…" I felt a fingertip brush the side of my face. It trailed down my cheeks and traced my nose. I opened my mind's eye briefly to watch Takeshi. He bent down, and, quietly, whispered, "I love you, Scrat Kaji. Sleep well, beautiful one…" With that, he kissed her. "Goodnight." _Okay..._ I thought, _so these aren't Takeshi's fingers. So who's are they?   
_I closed my mind's eye. As soon as I did, I heard a close voice whisper, "She seems so… distant. I know she's new, but it's like…" He paused. "Like she's never had friends before. Like she's harboring a darkness inside. She's always in thought." He took his finger off my cheek, then brushed a stray strand of hair from my closed eyes. "I promise you, 'Sumi, that I will save you from the demons in your head. I will make you happy, no matter what. Even though I just met you, I think I'm… I think I'm in love with you." He stood up, sighing. "Goodnight, 'Sumi. Sleep well."   
They slipped out of the room quietly. I opened my eyes, placing my hand on my cheek. "I think I'm in love with you, too… Sato-chan."  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


It was late in the night when I decided to get up. I couldn't sleep due to the earlier events, plus I _really_ needed to pee. So I naturally wanted to find a bathroom. Of course, I had the same sense of direction as a Psyduck at Olivine Labyrinths, so I was bound to get lost.   
I tip-toed out of our room, choosing the left hallway. After about fifteen minutes of searching, I realized it wasn't there. As I was heading back, I heard voices. They were whispers, but I had a keen sense of hearing from my training. Once again, I used my mind's eye to look into the room.   
Although the room had two beds, the inhabitants were sharing one. Both were male, and I noticed that it was Shigeru and Hiroshi. Although I'm not quite a nosy person, I was wondering what they were doing.   
"Shigeru…" Hiroshi whispered, nearly silently, "You know what I wish?" They were laying on their backs, gazing at the ceiling.   
"What?" Shigeru asked, turning to him.   
"I wish," he said, gazing into Shigeru's eyes, "That we didn't have to deal with the secrecy. The others wouldn't care. We'd be happier. So why do we have to keep the silence? I want to go out, be like all the other couples."  
Shigeru pulled him closer. "I do, too, Hiro-chan, but we've got to keep it quiet a little while longer. Our friends won't care, but the world will. I don't want the world standing in our way. Once the situations change, then we'll go public."  
I clasped my hands dreamily. It was so… incredibly… _kawaii_! I never knew Shigeru was capable of being loving and romantic. Everything was falling into place.   
Hiroshi looked at him, still quiet. "Do you promise, 'Geru-chan?"  
"I promise." With that, he pulled him into a kiss. I closed my mind's eye again and smiled. I was glad that Shigeru wasn't alone. And I couldn't have found him a better match…   
  


~*~*~*~*(THIRD PERSON)*~*~*~*~  
  


Tenshi walked up to the sleeping Akuma, nudging him gently. _**Akuma-koi… **_she "said," gently, _**Wake up…  
**_The Umbreon opened his golden eyes slowly. He had become accustomed to sleeping at night. Akuma stretched, yawning, and smiled. _Yes, Tenshi-chan?  
_ She smiled. _**Close your eyes, Akuma. I've got a surprise for you. **_He complied, biting gently on the scruff of her neck so she could lead him. They went from the lobby to the small closet-like room next to Kasumi's. Tenshi noted that her mistress wasn't there, and to question her in the morning.   
Finally, they reached their destination. Tenshi tripped while walking in, possibly because she was so tired. She had been up all night preparing for Akuma's surprise. She wanted it to be… perfect, just like in all those novels Kasumi used to read.   
_**All right, Akuma. Open your eyes. **_He did, and was greeted by the dim glow of candles and bowl of spaghetti…  
_Tenshi, how'd you get this? Nurse Joy's food supply?_ Tenshi smiled widely. She nudged him forward, towards the large bowl.   
_**I made it myself, silly. It was easy. I knew it was your favorite. Plus, today's special. **_She tilted her head towards the clock. It read 12:00am. _**It's the anniversary of the day we met. You remember, don't you? **_The evolved Eevees started on the food.   
_Mm-hmm. I was just an Eevee, and our masters made us battle for that badge back in Saffron. Naturally, you won. That was, ah... Four years ago today._ Akuma smiled and slurped up the spaghetti. Tenshi did the same next to him.  
_**It was on that day that I realized- **_She stopped. They were both biting on the same noodle. Akuma looked into her eyes. _Yes, Tenshi?_ he asked quietly.   
_**It was the day I realized, **_she whispered mind-to-mind, _**that I loved you. **_Akuma smiled a feline smile and closed the distance between them. They shared a kiss that only Pokemon could share.   
_You know what, Tenshi? I thank Mew that they battled. Otherwise, how would I have found you?_ They curled up together, a mix of purple and black in the night.   
  


~*~*~*~*(Back to Kasumi's POV)*~*~*~*~  
  


After a long search, I finally found the bathroom. Of course, I got lost on my way back. It was nearly two in the morning when I was even close. I cursed the ones that decided the Johto Centers needed expansions._  
_Suddenly, I heard moans in one of the rooms. _Please, Serebii, _I prayed, _Don't let that be Shigeru's room again... _I creaked open the door.   
Luckily, I hadn't found my way back to the couple's room. Instead, I found myself in Takeshi and Satoshi's room. And Satoshi was the one moaning.   
I approached his bed quietly. He was sweating heavily, and tossing in his sleep. I knew what was happening from my own past experiences. He was having a nightmare.   
Gently, I placed a hand on his forehead. I then dragged my fingertips softly along his face, while making soothing noises. "Shh… It's okay, Sato-chan. Calm down. It'll be all right. I'm here now." He calmed down considerably. "Otousan…?" he questioned, muffled by his arm. _So, _I thought, _It was about his father...  
_I smiled. "No, Satoshi, I'm not your otousan." Satoshi groaned again, and I hummed a song quietly in his ear. He stopped, laying peacefully. "Sleep tight, Sato-chan. See you in the morning…" With that, I kissed him on the cheek. Then I slid out quietly, heading towards where I _hoped_ my room would be.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


YAY! I only took two days to write this, without much eating or sleeping. And this is the longest chapter yet. Seven full pages! *pats self on back* Well, this was extremely… Either fluffy or sappy. Not sure. I cannot write romance if my life depended on it. And yaoi… I'll leave that to dana-chan. ^_^ Well, I had your Rivalshipping, Pokeshipping, a touch of Copyshipping, Squintshipping (Scrat/Takeshi), and everyone's favorite ship, Narfshipping (Tenshi/Akuma)! Well, we'll be back to your regularly scheduled humor, angst, and AU-ness soon!   
Japanese Guide:   
Imite- Duplica  
Oyasumi nasai- Good night  
Yasashii yume - (roughly translated) Sweet dreams   
Otousan- father  
Questions:  
1) Can anyone think of a better name for T/A other than Narfshipping?  
2) How was I with the romance/fluff/sap?  
3) Anything in particular you'd like, beside shipping? ^_^;  
  
Well, 'till next time, minna-san, sayonara! ~~~Ara Moon   
  
**PS: Ara loves email! If you ever see me on Fanfiction.net Messenger, or on MSN, or wanna email me, feel free to!**  
  
Ah… Well, here's the scoop- I'm running out of people to introduce/assist in Never the Same's author's notes. I could always have Scrat or Tenshi come back, but that wouldn't be very interesting, now, would it? So I'm holding a contest. Basically, I'm gonna ask a question. First to email me with the CORRECT answer, all specified information included, gets to help with the author's notes. Plus, if I am as skilled a writer as I hope I am, I might be able to cameo you in a chapter. *Takeshi-obsessed author appear* No, Scrat, you can't enter. Give the others a try. ^-^ Well, I'm going for real this time! Ja ne, ninna-san!   
Contest Question:   
Email me with the title of this song and the anime it came from. If you don't know the exact name, tell me who sings it. It's not that hard, considering the anime it's from is fairly popular…   
  


**"Yoru no sora ni kagayaku  
Tooi gin no tsuki   
Yuube yume de saite 'ta  
Nobara to onaji iro…"**   
__  
  


  



	7. Life's Like This

**Never the Same**

****

            Author's Notes: We're back again for Chapter Six! Whoo! Glad that you decided to return. *sounds like a gameshow host* ^_^; Well, since she won the contest (the song was "Yoru no Uta" from CardCaptor Sakura), here's dana-chan with the intro! 

Eee! I never know what to say when I'm given something important to do like this.

**_Why don't you, oh, introduce the fic?_**

You're just bitter because you're not the center of attention!

**_Oh, and you are?_**

Attention hog!

**_Prima donna!_**

Eee, Hiroshi! *glomps him as he passes on by*

**_*sweatdrop* Uh, Dana-chan, that isn't what you're supposed to be doing._**

Oh, true. *clears throat, doesn't let go of Hiroshi* It is my honor to present Chapter Six of Never the Same! Cue the fanfare.

**_*dry clap*_**

_Hiroshi: *turning blue* I think you did great_…

Oh, Hiro-chan! *stops suffocating him and cuddles him instead*

**_Fangirls!_**

Oh, as if Akuma doesn't have the same effect on you!

**_*drifts, though not literally* Akuma-koi_****…**

**Never the Same**

**Chapter Six-**

**Life's Like This**

            I woke up to a strange emptiness. I knew I had been up late the last night, but most of the night was a blank. My groggy eyes focused and I noticed something unusual- I was seeing everything in shades of purple!

            Quickly covering my lavender-tinted eyes, I yelled in thought, _TENSHI! _She stepped out from under my bed, smiling nervously. **_Yes, Mistress? _**Tenshi isn't one to bow to anyone, so when she calls me "Mistress," you know she's guilty of something. And I knew just what she was guilty of… 

            _Why, in the name of Serebii, did you use that technique on me?!? _I yelled angrily to her. Tenshi shrunk back. **_Eh… I was walking past your room last night, and you weren't there, so I searched your memory this morning. Sorry_…**I smacked my forehead with my free hand, letting my face sink into my palms. When I was younger, Tenshi and I created our own special technique. We nicknamed it "Lavender Flash." When used correctly, it could allow you to view other's memories at will, and even copy or erase some of them by transferring them to your own brain. Also, it effected your victim's psychic abilities, and tinted their eyes violet. It was a strong technique, especially when used incorrectly.

            **_Hey, _**Tenshi said, **_The electricity is back on. Let's call Natsume-sama. Maybe she can help us. _**I nodded, and followed her to the vid-phone.    

            The phone rang for a while, and I was thinking of hanging up, when a tousled Sabrina ran to the phone. "Hello?" she gasped, panting. I waved, and she sighed. "Hey, Kasumi. How are things going there?" she asked, catching her breath. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, gee, well, how do you _think _they're going? I'm snowed in at a Pokemon Center, Shigeru is being Shigeru, and Tenshi used Lavender Flash on me!" 

            I heard a dim voice in the background ask, "Who is it, 'Sume-chan?" Sabrina mumbled something quickly in return, and I grinned. "Ah… So Erika-chan stayed the night again, eh?" I asked playfully, and the Celadon Gym Leader ran to the phone. "Kasumi? That you? Long time no see! How are you?" Tenshi stood at my side, her face a mirror of Sabrina's as we chatted over the little things happening in our lives. Erika often stayed with us, and had clued me in on her relationship with Sabrina. We were very close, almost like sisters. 

            **_Ahem_,** Tenshi butted in, **_Don't you think there's something more important to talk about here, Kasumi? _**I paused mid-sentence, and sighed. "Yeah… Well, Sabrina, I just wanted to know how long you think the effects will last." She paused, in thought, then said, "I don't know. Could be three minutes to three years. How recent were the memories?" I told her that they were only from last night, and she said, "Eh… then that might take a while." I nodded, and smiled. Closing my eyes, I concentrated. Soon the violet tint was replaced by a bright crimson glow. 

            Sabrina shivered. "Could you not do that?" she asked. "It's freaky when they glow like that." I smirked. "Oh, and it wasn't freaky when you had a crazed doll on your lap all the time?" Just then, Shigeru walked in. And promptly screamed like a little girl. 

            "Gah! Don't surprise me like that! You know it's freaky when you do that…" I sweatdropped. Tenshi giggled, and I let my eyes go back to the purple shade before glaring at her. 

            **_Ahh! Kasumi, don't do that! It's freaky! That color is scary… _**I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Tenshi, it's purple. _You're _purple." She shook her head. **_Nuh-uh. I'm, er… _**She stopped, looking at herself. **_Oh my god! Sweet Serebii! AKUMA, I'M PURPLE!!! _**The black and gold moonlight Pokemon walked in slowly, yawning. _You've ALWAYS been purple, Tenshi dear. _

            Tenshi calmed down. **_Oh, yeah… Say, do you think this place has any tuna? _**Akuma sighed, his head dropping. Then he looked at me. _Ah... You know, Kasumi, I think you should change to a color similar to your usual one. Don't want anyone getting freaked out, now, do we?_I sighed, sweatdropping. "Akuma, you seem to be the only one whose on my side anymore." He smiled, projecting a message to my mind privately. _But we're all always beside you, Kasumi. Every step of the way. Remember that. Every step of the way..._ I smiled at him gently. _Thanks, Akuma, _I whispered to his mind. He gestured to Tenshi and she followed him into another room. 

            I concentrated and turned my eyes back to their normal color. Satoshi walked out of the main hallway, and I blushed, looking down. He was only wearing his jeans. I looked at myself, and saw that I was only wearing a short white nightgown. Sabrina looked at me, and at him, and then back at me. "Ah… I see now." She winked. "Well, good luck!"

            At the sound of the Saffron Gym Leader, Satoshi ran over. "Hey, Natsume! Long time, no battle! How're you?" She smiled. "Ah… Satoshi. Good to see you. I've been fine. Haven't faced many challengers quite as good as you yet." He smiled, and I shot her a questioning look. "Satoshi here is the one who helped me lose my other self. He beat me with a borrowed Haunter." The two returned to talking, and I sighed. Scrat walked out of our room, scratching her fiery hair sleepily. Her green-blue eyes similar to mine sparkled in the bright Center lights. 

            "I'm gonna go get changed, okay Scrat?" She nodded sleepily, and I headed to the room. I passed Hiroshi in the hall. "Ohayo, Hiroshi. How're you this morning?" He smiled, lifting up the Raichu's egg. 

"I'm good. I just went to pick up the egg from Pikachu for you and Satoshi." I nodded, taking the egg from him gently. "Thanks. Can you come tell me when breakfast is out? I wanna get some things done." He nodded, and I walked into my room. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jab, cross, hook, back-fist, palm strike, turn. Snap, round, shuffle side, land. Fighting stance, bow.  

I opened my eyes and wiped the sweat off my forehead. Right before I left Saffron, the nearby Fighting Gym started giving me lessons. The fear of meeting _him _again drove me to practice. I grabbed a towel and my clothes, and walked into the bathroom. 

The feel of hot water against my skin was soothing. I got to wash my hair again, which felt good. Soon Hiroshi was knocking on the door, letting me know that breakfast was ready. I hurriedly dried my hair and followed him to the lobby.

Upon me entering, Takeshi got a nosebleed. Satoshi turned blood red and fell out of his seat. Shigeru smirked, and Hiroshi slapped the back of his head playfully. 

**_Er, Kasumi… _**Tenshi whispered, although I was the only one who could hear her, **_Are you aware that you are only wearing a towel? _**I looked down at myself, and blushed. Trying to keep my dignity, I waltzed over to the table confidently. Satoshi quickly looked away, still crimson-faced. Scrat had slapped Takeshi out of it. 

Nurse Joy walked in with the meal. "Ah…" Shigeru said, grinning, "I _finally _get those eggs I planned to make before _you _interrupted. Why would you want toast for breakfast, anyway?" I rolled my eyes. "I can't believe you still remember that!"

 We started eating after that, chatting in between bites. Tenshi was curled up around the egg protectively, and Akuma was sitting next to her. Satoshi was still red-faced as we talked, and kept shooting glances at me. Nurse Joy stood up, gathering the finished dishes. 

"I received a call earlier. They're sending out a troop to dig us out." I looked at her. "_Dig _us out? Exactly how deep under _are_ we?" She looked out the covered window. 

"Er… We're covered in about three feet of snow above." I sweatdropped. Back in Saffron, it never snowed… I felt a sudden urge to run outside giggling like a little child. I probably would have, too, had we not been completely snowed in. 

Satoshi looked at me, and I wondered if his face would _always _be that crimson. "Ah… 'Sumi, don't you think you should get changed…?" I nodded, and turned to my clothes. They were conveniently under Tenshi. _Tenshi, get off my clothes_, I said to her privately, _Now._

She grinned, and winked at me. **_Ah… But you don't want to damage the egg now, do you? _**The Espeon snuggled closer to it as if to prove her point, and pretended to be asleep. **_Borrow something from Satoshi…_**

I looked at him, blushing mildly. "Erm… Once that fluffball goes to sleep, she's practically immovable. Sato-chan, do you think I can borrow some of your clothes?" He blushed, too, and said, "Okay… Erm, take what you need…" 

Thanking him, we walked to his room awkwardly. "Don't worry," I said, "I have my underclothes." He sighed thankfully. Then he gestured to himself. "Take your pick of clothes. It's not much, but…" I smiled. _Might as well make this somewhat fashionable..._

I took his hands in mine, removing his gloves and slipping them on. Then I grabbed the matching jacket, tee-shirt, belt, and, just to spice it up… I stood on my tip-toes and reached on top of his head, grabbing his hat. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

 "You said I could take my pick, so…" I winked at him, walking back to my room. He looked kind of cute with his hair ruffled like that… I shook my head, reminding myself to ask Sabrina about this disease. I stopped, and blinked. _Didn't I already solve this...? _I thought to myself. Silently cursing Tenshi's ability to use Lavender Flash, I started to change. 

The end result didn't look half bad. His black shirt was long, so it went down to mid-thigh level, and the jacket went lower to cover more in the back. His Poke-belt (which I had detached his pokeballs from) held the shirt loosely around my waist, showing off some of my figure. The green-blue gloves added a whole Sato-chan look-alike theme to it, and the worn hat topped it off nicely. Content, I walked back into the lobby where the others sat, waiting for rescue. 

Tenshi had gotten off my clothes, but Takeshi had decided to use them to wrap up the egg. I sat down in the circle of chairs, and was surrounded by an uncomfortable silence. 

"Okay, I'm bored as hell now," Shigeru said in his usual gruff voice. I looked at him tiredly. "Is Hell really boring? I wouldn't think so. I mean, you probably aren't too bored while you are burning in eternal unhappiness." The others stared at me, surprised by my gloominess. I realized that the had no clue about my past, and therefore had no clue that I could be so dark at times. I sweatdropped. 

"Er… So, what do you guys wanna do this week while we're off?" I asked, trying to break the silence. Scrat cheered up a little, and Shigeru still looked unfazed. 

"Ooh… I wanna go Christmas shopping soon! November's almost over…" I nodded. November _was _coming to an end soon. I had barely noticed. I guess with all the things that were happening, I couldn't worry about dates…

Suddenly, I heard a Charizard roar and some voices from the outside. We all stood up, and walked towards the door. Just as Satoshi was about to open the door, a bouncy blonde came running in. 

"Oh, Takeshi! Are you okay? Once I heard the news, I came right to the Center! I was so worried you were hurt, especially spending the night trapped with idiots like them…" She was hugging him tightly, and he sweatdropped. 

"Er, Domino, I'm fine, really…" Very soon, others rushed in. I recognized Ookido-hakase rush up to Shigeru, an auburn-haired woman run up and squeeze Satoshi, and a tall man, about seventeen with brown hair and blue eyes, walk up to Scrat. They were all excited to see what I guessed was their children, or some sort of family member. I looked to Hiroshi. "Say… Where's your family?" 

He looked at me, smiling sadly. "I'm orphaned. My parents died in a car crash when I was little. So I've been on my own since." I nodded, knowingly. We were both alone. There was suddenly a strong sense of understanding between us as we watched the happy reunions. 

I stuck my hands in the borrowed belt around my waist and walked out of the Center slowly. It was true- we were deep under. I had to walk up a slope to get to the "ground." As soon as I reached the ground, however, I was greeted by a handful of reporters. 

"What was it like, being trapped in a Center overnight?"

"Was anyone injured?"

"Can I have a close-up?" 

Snap, flash.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

"Who are you?"

"Are you Satoshi Ketchum?"

"Did you get mysterious changed into a female in the middle of the night?" 

            I blinked at the last two questions. Last time I faced the armies of reporters was when I "came out" -- when I first appeared as a Cerulean Sister. And those reporters were no where as weird as these… 

            A short girl about my age, with long auburn hair and blue-gray eyes, ran past. I heard Hiroshi scream lightly inside, and ran in. However, there was nothing to worry about that I could see. The girl was just hugging him. "Er… Dana-chan… Do you mind loosening on your hold a little?"

            She nodded, instead just glomping him. The girl rubbed her cheek against his, her glasses moving slightly. It was odd, seeing everyone have their families and friends there to greet them, and me? I had no family. I plodded slowly through the snow and ignored the reporters before I walked into something tall and somewhat hard. I looked up. 

"Sabrina?" I asked quietly. She nodded, smiling slightly. I was surprised. "But… how?" Erika stood next to her, holding an umbrella to the last of the snow. I wondered exactly how much snow could fall on one place at a time. "A lot, actually… Ecruteak gets the most out of Johto, except when compared to Mt. Silver or Blackthorn. And I had Alakazam teleport us for a short while. We'll only be here for the rest of the day." I nodded, smiling, and we walked through the snow. 

 Erika looked up at the sky, and I did, too. It was dark and gloomy, but we didn't mind. Sabrina was leading us somewhere, most likely Shigeru's house. I let my body take control and closed my eyes, relaxing. Tenshi scampered up next to me. She was complaining to Erika about the weather. I shut it all out.

I felt my body lighten and grow distant. My pace slowed down slightly, and my body loosened. The blackness exploded into a blur of colors and shapes, each different from the next. I looked at each of them until a few familiar ones appeared. Everything spread out into blankness and then erupted into a scene, each detail perfect and precise. I found myself looking back into the Center. 

  Satoshi was standing there, his jeans drooping thanks to the fact that I had his belt. The woman, obviously his mother, was still hugging him. She stopped abruptly, looking at him. "Satoshi… Where's your hat? And the rest of your clothes?" He sweatdropped. 

"Er… I loaned them to Kasumi, Mom." She raised an eyebrow. "Kasumi? Kasumi Yawa?" He nodded, confused, and she smiled. "Ookido-hakase told me about her. I'd love to meet her! Say, Satoshi, why don't you invite her over for dinner someday? You don't have many girls over…" She winked, and Satoshi sighed. "Mom…" he whined. His mother just giggled, and walked over to talk to Ookido-hakase. The kids, including Domino, the Hiroshi-glomper, and the guy who walked up to Scrat earlier, gathered and regrouped. "Say… Where's Kasumi?" Scrat asked, looking at the others. 

The guy shrugged. He had a hat that said "Got Narf?" and his blue eyes shined. "Dunno. Who's Kasumi?" Scrat smacked him on the back of the head playfully, grinning. "Tempral-kun… You are _such_ a baka…" He nodded, grinning. 

Satoshi looked worried. "Maybe we should look for her. She's new, and doesn't know her way around…" Shigeru rolled his eyes. "Stop worrying. She's Kasumi. The worst thing that could happen is her getting trapped by bug Pokemon…" 

He nodded, and they walked out of the Center. I opened my eyes, refocusing on the world around me. Tenshi was staring up at me. **_What were you lookin' at, Kasumi? _**I reached down, picked up a handful of snow, and flung it at her. "Nothing!" I yelled giddily as I started spinning in the snow. Sabrina stared at me, and Erika giggled. Tenshi scooped up a clump of snow in her tail, and flung it. I dodged, and it hit Sabrina head on. She growled, scooped some up, and was about to throw it when she was hit from behind. Turning, she came face-to-face with Erika. The Celadon Gym Leader kissed her briefly, then swung down and pelted her with more snow. Erika giggled, and an all-out snowball fight erupted. 

I dodged a flurry from Tenshi, rolling and tossing a clump at Sabrina. She countered with a pile she had lifted with her mind. I saw this, and Erika and I rolled to the side. We formed our own teams; Tenshi and Sabrina versus Erika and I. Everyone was having fun, and even Sabrina was giggling, which was remotely scary. I sensed a familiar presence approaching from behind, and I grinned. The others had their backs turned to it, like I did, so I sent a message to them.

_Okay, everyone, on the count of three, we nail 'im. Got it? _They nodded, and scooped up their own snow. _One... _I readied myself, pivoting my feet. _Two... _The snow in my hand formed a sphere. Our bodies turned in unison as we flung the snowballs. "Three!" 

Shigeru fell over under the assault of snow. As soon as he lifted his head, another snowball hit him in the mouth. We eventually let him sit up, sputtering and spitting. He glared, and I laughed. 

"Not funny…" he grumbled, glaring, and I grinned. "Yes, it was. Now get over it, Geru-chan." Shigeru grumbled more, and I laughed. Sticking out a hand, I grabbed him and yanked him up. He brushed himself off, and then glared at Sabrina. She glared back. 

"You just _had_ to go and ruin the fun, didn't you, Shigeru?" she said, surprising me. Was that a hint of a pout I heard in Ms. Emotionless's voice? Surely not. I saw Tenshi with a mischievous grin behind Shigeru, and smiled slightly. I concentrated, my eyes glowing slightly, then stared at him. He let out a startled scream, and we all started laughing, me the loudest. 

Cool, suave Shigeru had gone from his trademark purple shirt and strange pants to a, well… "A _bunny suit_?!?" he yelled, horrified, sending us into a new uproar of laughter. He looked at himself, his fluffy white tail bobbing as he did. His pink ears flopped, and the pink feet sunk into the snow. "My, Shigeru, that color is just perfect for you!" Erika joked, and we laughed on. Shigeru's face was beginning to match his outfit. We calmed down gradually, but it was still funny. It became even funnier when Aesta, Scrat's Flareon, wandered over and attempted to eat his tail. 

I turned his clothes back, and apologized laughingly. He pouted, which made me want to laugh more. A pout doesn't quite fit Shigeru… 

Suddenly, a wind blew by, and Shigeru was left in only his boxers. **_Gah! Kasumi, put them back! It's scary! _**Tenshi covered her eyes with her paws, digging her nose into the snow. Sabrina and Erika looked away. I sweatdropped, yelling back at them, "It wasn't me!" A laugh echoed, and I stiffened. The man from the Center came running over. 

"Kokkeinakamo, get down here! And give him back his clothes! There are some things people don't need to see…" Shigeru grumbled, covering himself the best he could, and a Ghastly appeared. It looked disappointed. _*Aww... You're no fun, Tempral.*_ The man rolled his eyes. "Shut up and put them back, Kokamo, or I'll send Aesta after you." The ghost sweatdropped as the Flareon grinned evilly. _*All right...*_ Shigeru's clothes appeared again.  

            The man tapped his foot impatiently. "What do you say, Kokamo?" Said ghost turned to Shigeru and smiled slightly. _*At least it wasn't a bunny suit...* _All of us, including Tenshi, sweatdropped together. The guy turned to me. 

            "Hey. I'm Tempral Kaji, Scrat's brother. You're Kasumi, right? Scrat's told me a lot about you." I nodded. Tenshi looked up at him. "Ah… And this must be the crazed fluffball. Scrat's told me a lot about you, too." She looked somewhat annoyed at being called a crazed fluffball, but Tempral solved that easily. He bent down, and started to gently pet her under the chin. Tenshi purred, rubbing her neck along his hand. 

            From behind me, Sabrina and Erika stood. Shigeru walked next to them, still grumbling. Suddenly, the Ghastly sped off. _*C'mon, Tempral! Let's go make the Olivine Beach showers spit mud instead of water again!* _Tempral grinned, and ran off waving to us. "Nice to meet you, Kasumi! Talk to you later! Have a narfy day!"  

            I blinked, then turned to the others. "Well… _That _was unusual…" Sabrina said, and we started walking again. Erika resumed talking to Tenshi about the weather and perfume. Shigeru was still grumbling as we trudged through the snow to his house. 

Suddenly, Sabrina said, "Oh, Kasumi, your 'sisters' sent you a gift from Cerulean." As we reached the outside of the house, she reached into the crimson top of her uniform and took out a paper. "You keep things in there?" I asked playfully, grinning. "Oh, shut up," she grumbled, handing it to me. It read:

_Like, Dear Misty,_

_How are, like, you doing? We're sooo totally fine. Ooo, except Sakura had a horrible knot in her hair yesterday! It took, like, thirty minutes to get it out! Like, she might have damaged it! And Ayame is taking REAL good care of your Pokemon for you. Like, we took them out from Ookido-hakase's place to use them in the show. Hope you don't care. Seel says hi. And, uh... Like, a bunch of other stuff happened, but I forgot! Well, we like all chipped in and like bought this for you! Hope the bad man doesn't get you!_

_With love, _

_Your, like, sisters!_

_Ayame, Botan, and Sakura_

_PS: Don't die on us, and, like, write us back! We miss you! Oooh, and if you meet a guy, tell us! That Shigeru guy is sooo not right for you. Ja ne, lil' sis!_

I sweatdropped, before trying to shove the note in my pocket. Unfortunately, I was still wearing Satoshi's clothes, which had no pocket. Blushing, I stuck the note in my shirt like Sabrina had, and walked inside. 

The first sight I was greeted with was a shiny red bike. Tenshi's violet eyes glittered. **_Ooh… Shiny… _**I glared at her. "No. Way. In. Hell," I said to the Espeon. I knew about her obsession with shiny objects, and was not about to take any chances. This was _my _bike, the one I had wanted since I was eight. She was _not_ going to destroy it. I would not let _anything _touch that bike. Not even a crazed flock of Spearows… 

Sabrina smiled slightly. "Once the snow melts, you can ride it to school. But not now. It's winter. Oh, and consider that your Christmas gift from them. Knowing the Cerulean Sisters, they'll be broke and begging me for money by next week…" She sighed.

"Oh, why do I deal with those bakas?" Erika grinned. "Because you're sweet, kind, loving, and helpful, 'Sume-chan." Sabrina sighed again. "It's because you force me to, isn't it?" 

Erika smiled, giggling. "Yup!" She kissed her on the cheek. Shigeru made a gagging noise. "I'm gonna walk away now, because your sweet sappiness makes me want to vomit. Ja!" With that, he walked into the kitchen. Sabrina and Erika continued to joke and talk in the living room, so I walked up to my room. 

Thinking for a second, I picked up a piece of paper and a pen. Tenshi curled around the egg next to me as I started to write. I paused momentarily, then wrote more. 

I looked at my work. It wasn't much, but it would do. I scanned my eyes over the paper. They might not have been the best people in the world, but the Yawas weren't that bad. After all, everyone has their pros and cons. They couldn't help it if they were annoying as hell… 

_Dear Botan, Ayame, and Sakura, _

_Thanks for the bike. Once the snow melts and the cold weather passes, I'll ride it. Everything here in Ecruteak is pretty good. I've met a few people that I have become friends with. _

_I'm sorry to hear about your hair, Sakura. That must have been a pain. It's probably from all the time you spend in the water. I promise I'll help with the shows on my next visit, okay? Other than the shows, how is the gym? Reforming the reputation? I hope so. Try not to seem like pushovers, okay? I hate how people talk about you being so easy. Don't want to lose the respect of any guys, now, do you? Be careful with Togepi. I don't want her getting out and wreaking havoc on the town again. Never underestimate the dangers of that egg... Tenshi says hi. Well, actually, she yawns and mumbles about Akuma, but that's almost the same thing. And I hope Horsea is okay. She looked kind of sick when I last saw her. _

_The people here are pretty nice, but VERY weird. Take Takeshi, for example. He's a girl-crazy lunatic, yet doesn't seem to notice that Scrat likes him. Oh, who's Scrat? She's obsessed with Takeshi for reasons currently unknown. Her brother scares me... Hiroshi's this quiet guy who is a good friend of Shigeru's. Oh, and by the way, I would NEVER go out with the egotistical jerk. He's freaky... _

_That leads us to Satoshi. He's funny, and kinda cute. His Pikachu is a prima donna, but that fact aside, they're good friends. After Takeshi used my clothes to warm the egg, Sato-chan lent me his. Oh, the egg is the baby of a Raichu that Sato-chan and I delivered. We're raising it together. Tenshi is currently curled around it. _

_Last night, we got trapped in the Pokemon Center. I know some important things happened, but I can't remember. The stupid fluffball used Lavender Flash on me. I got to cuddle with Sato-chan under a blanket, though... Whoa. That did NOT come out right. Never mind that last sentence. Oh, this is the last time I write in non-erasable ink..._

_Well, I'm gonna go now. Tenshi wants me to walk down to the PokeMart on the other side of town, dig down into the snow, get to the door, and buy her tuna. And don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for that bastard. Keep in touch, okay? I miss you, too. And remember my warnings about the egg. _

_Love, light, and snowball fights,_

_Kasumi_

_            PS: I just realized that I'm still wearing Sato-chan's clothes... Don't worry, it matches. I'll send along a picture. And now Tenshi's tail is twitching... I'm gonna go dig up the PokeMart now before she tries to kill me. Sayonara! _

            I quickly snapped a picture, sealed the envelope, and grabbed the shovel. Tenshi was sparking. **_Come on! I'm hungry! _**I sighed. "Spoiled brat…" The Espeon did not look pleased at this name. Pulling down my lower eyelid and sticking out my tongue, I ran out of the house. "Can't catch me!"

            She growled. **_Wanna bet, Kasumi? _**And so the race was on. While turning a corner, I stuck the envelope in a mailbox. Tenshi knocked over an old woman while running towards me. I sweatdropped, and ran faster. Dodging an old man with a flute, I jumped and used my shovel to make it to the group of diggers already there. Unfortunately, the man's Snorlax rolled over, trapping my foot. Tenshi ran ahead, beating me. 

            I dragged my body to the spot where the PokeMart was. Tenshi was doing a victory dance, and I sighed. **_Dig, Kasumi, dig! I want this snow to go down by six feet by the time I come back! Now, what do you say? _**I sighed. Note to self: Never let Tenshi see a musical again. 

            I coughed. "I love you, Tenshi-chan," I said in a sing-song voice. **_Good… Now get to work! _**She started humming a song to herself, and I rolled my eyes. The Cerulean Sisters put on a play a while ago. It was about a little orphan girl (guess who played the lead?) who met this millionaire. I have no clue how they got it to be an under-water show, but they did. Tenshi played the part of her pet, and had been obsessed with it since. 

            "Look, Fluffy, if you don't stop it soon, I'm gonna rip the whiskers from _your_ chin and make you drink a 'Mickey Finn,' whatever the hell that is." She quickly shut up, and I continued digging. Soon, I felt warm hands on my cold shoulders. 

            "You're _still _wearing that, 'Sumi?" Satoshi asked, appearing next to me. He stuck his shovel in the snow and started digging. "Yes, I am, Sato-chan. The furball didn't give me a chance to change. Stupid tuna-obsessed _purple_ fluff…" I glared at her, and he laughed. 

            I looked around. "Say… Why are you here? More volunteer work already?" He smiled as an older woman, the same from the Center approached. "Mom made me come…" The woman behind him coughed, and nudged him aside. Smiling, she turned to me. 

            "Hi! You must be Kasumi. Satoshi's told me a lot about you…" She winked, and Satoshi blushed. "I'm his mother. Call me Hanako. Well, Satoshi and I were wondering if you would come to our Christmas party this year. All the others come. It'll be a lot of fun." She smiled again, and I nodded. 

            "Great! Well, I'll leave you two alone now. Bye!" She ran off, and I blinked. Satoshi sweatdropped. "Eh… Sorry 'bout that. Mom's a little… enthusiastic." I smiled, and we continued to talk. 

            As it got late, everyone took a break. We gathered around fires, talking and relaxing. I leaned back and looked at the stars. Satoshi did the same. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" I whispered to him. He looked at me. "Just like you…" I sat up, and looked at him. 

            "What'd you say?" I asked, surprised. He couldn't have said that. It just wasn't possible. He blushed. "N-Nothing!" he stuttered, looking back up. I sighed, following his gaze. 

            Stars are amazing things. Each is unique, and bright. They say that, if you look at them right, you can see the constellations of the ancient wonders. Gazing up, I saw something move. Only it didn't look like a star… In fact, it was glowing pink. I rubbed my eyes, looking harder. It wasn't there anymore. _Must be my imagination..._

Satoshi moved closer to me. I closed my eyes. Stars… I searched my mind for the words to a song I had known well. When I was young, I used to sing to pass the time. My father wouldn't let me out much, so I had to do something. I remembered the words, and sung quietly. 

**_"KANARIA no ORUGO-RU_**

**_Sotto FEIDO AUTO_**

**_Doushiyou mune ga mune ga tsumaru no_**

**_NAMIDA ga hoshi ni natte mo_**

**_Kaiten mokuba kiete mo_**

**_Onegai yo KISU wo yamenaide…"_**

****

                I opened my eyes. Satoshi was looking at me. "You have a beautiful voice, 'Sumi," he whispered, and I blushed. "Where did you learn that song?" I looked up, feeling tears cloud my eyes. I blinked them back. 

                "My mother taught me the song… Before she was killed." That was mostly the truth. My bastard of a father had killed her after he saw that she could report him for abuse. He never loved her in the first place. 

            "Mother loved that song… She would sing it all the time before I went to sleep." That was a lie. I had made up the song myself. I barely knew my mother. She was murdered shortly after I was born. But I wrote that song while thinking of her… 

            Satoshi frowned. "I'm sorry I brought it up…" I smiled at him, a tint of sadness on my face. "Consider it pay back for mentioning your father…" He nodded. 

                The song played through my head as we continued to gaze at the stars. The translation of the verse flowed through my mind. _The canary music box softly fades out, What should I do? My heart is, my heart is all choked up, Even if these tears turn into stars, Even if our merry-go-round disappears, I beg you, please don't stop your kisses..._

I looked up, wondering if those stars were really tears. If so, how many were mine? My eyes trailed to Satoshi next to me. "I hope this merry-go-round never disappears, Sato-chan…" He looked at me, slightly confused, then smiled. 

                "I hope it doesn't, too, 'Sumi. I hope it never ends…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Phew. That was only, what, eleven pages? ^_^ And I finished before my birthday! Yay! Yup, I'll officially be twelve on June 3rd. *feels special* Well, wasn't this a lovely random chapter? Funny, fluffy, hopefully a tad angsty, and just a bit of Japanese lyrics. Oh, those lyrics? "Takishi-do Mira-ju," or "Tuxedo Mirage," from Sailor Moon. This chapter is dedicated to **Tempral Bouncer** and **Scrat with a G **for helping me, and for the narfy gift I got from them. Special thanks also go to **dana-chan **for introducing the chapter, and for cameo-ing. ^_^ 

Questions: 

            1) What do you think of the cameo characters? (Scrat, Tempral, Dana…)

            2) Tempral asks: Do you have a spare apricot? 

Well, I'm gonna eat some human food now… *has been glued to the computer working on this all day* ^_^ If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just wanna chat, my email is **KuroiTenshi36@msn.com.** Have a narfy day! (I swear, Tempral's rubbing off on me…)


	8. Somewhere Else Instead

****

Never the Same

Author's Notes: Ah, school is almost over! Thank God… Once I'm free of "The Prison" (and a spell of writer's block) the chapters should come out quicker. ^_^ Oh, and just to let you know, I messed with the ages a bit. Dana's not seventeen (We love you anyway, though, dear) and I'm twelve, not fifteen. -_- Oh, yes, and any songs used in this chapter or past chapters aren't by whomever they're… by. Erm, I mean, Shania Twain doesn't exist in the Pokeworld, so it was written by some made-up singer from the character's world. So, if I say that Kasumi or another character wrote a song, I'm not trying to steal copyrighted works. I'm just trying to get some music in. *Ex.: I Say Yeah by Dreamstreet could be I Say Yeah by, erm, I dunno, Yume Bishonen. ^_^; I suck with names…* Uh, yeah, that made _so _much sense… ^_^ Well, uh… Here's Tempral with the intro! 

NNNAAARRRRFFFFYYYYNNNNEEEESSSSSSSS!!   
I finally get to introduce a chapter of Never the Same! Score!!   
Okay, here goes:   
It's finally here!   
The moment you've all been waiting for!   
Never the Same… Chapter –   
Ahh! The sloth's back!   
*runs around like an idiot*   
Ahh!   
Never… the… Same… Chapter Seven!   
*continues running frantically around his room, trying to avoid the pole*   
Go! Read and narf on, I'll hold the sloth!   
*smacks into the pole*   
Do'h! 

****

Never the Same

Chapter Seven-

Somewhere Else Instead

Early the next morning, I trudged home, disheveled and tired. Tenshi rushed up to me, grabbed the can of tuna out of my hand, and I growled. She stopped and looked back at me, sniffing the air. 

**_Ugh, Kasumi, you really need to shower! _**I looked at her, my eye twitching. Leaping down, I grabbed her. "Why you little--!" I lifted her by the scruff of the neck. "If I smell so bad that I suddenly need a bath…" I said, a crazed and malicious grin spreading on my face, "I'm dragging you with me!" Her violet eyes widened. **_NOOO! Help! This is cruel and unusual! Cruelty to Pokemon! Help!_**

**__**

Still grinning, I dragged her into the bathroom. Water wouldn't hurt her, I knew that, but being a feline, Tenshi HATED baths. I started running the water, and she squirmed. Shigeru walked by. 

"Wow, _you_ look happy today. Torturing the fuzzball again, I see?" I nodded, and gestured to the cabinet. "Can you get me Akuma's shampoo, and a muzzle, while you're at it?" He complied. Tenshi squirmed even more. **_Aww, come on, Kasumi! I'll be good, I PROMISE! I'll clean your room, I won't chase the mailman again, or jump old ladies, just turn off the water!_**

I did turn off the water, and she sighed, relieved. Then I quickly dunked her into the full tub. **_Gah! HEEEELP MEEEEEE!!! _**She rose her head out of the water, glaring, and I fell over laughing. There is _nothing _funnier than an angry wet purple feline. 

Shigeru came closer, handed me the shampoo, and held her while I started scrubbing. Tenshi complained the whole time, and attempted to bite me a few times until I looked from the tuna to the garbage can repeatedly, explaining the fate of her precious fish with my eyes. She quieted, and soon, we had a squeaky-clean disgruntled hairball. 

She scampered out of the room, tuna in check. Shigeru and I high-fived before he left to let me shower. It was a rushed shower, unlike the usual prolonged ones that would end with Shigeru running up the stairs cursing at me. Time was flying by, and I needed to get ready for my date. 

Okay, so maybe it wasn't _really _a date. Satoshi's mother, Hanako, wanted him to clean up his house, where Hiroshi and Takeshi were staying due to the snow. I had offered to help, and as payment, he'd take me out for dinner. Afterwards, we'd meet up with Scrat, Shigeru and the rest of the gang. It was still close enough to a date for me, though. 

I brushed my hair and quickly tossed on a black turtleneck and dark jeans. Grabbing a hair tie and sliding it onto my wrist, I yelled to Shigeru and ran out the door--into more snow. Brushing myself off, I groaned, and lifted all the snow out of my way with my mind.

Shigeru ran outside, yelling something about Tenshi eating his shirt again. When I turned around, I forgot about the hovering snow, and… Well, let's just say that I was a little late after digging him up.

Rushing in the door of the Ketchum residence muttering incoherent apologies, I quickly grabbed a broom and went to work. Satoshi stared at me for a second before walking over and grabbing the broom from me, gesturing to the couch. "Go. Sit. Staaay…" I blinked, and sat down. 

He walked into the other room, and I sat, confused. Why did I have to sit, when there was cleaning to do? Patience wasn't my strong point, either. Then I heard screams, and ran after him. If anything was hurting my Sato-chan, I'd kill…

I dashed down the hall, and shrieked. Takeshi stood there in a _grass skirt _and_ lei_, doing a strange dance which involved waving his arms around. He was singing something peculiar, like, "Aloha oi… Aloha oi…" followed by badly-imitated ukulele plucking sounds. Just as I was about to run off screaming, I grabbed a camera from nearby and snapped as many pictures as possible. If I couldn't sell them, well, what excellent blackmail they would be… 

Satoshi grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him into a closet. Then he turned to me. "I thought I told you to stay…" I shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm an impatient little girl. What can I say?" He laughed, and handed me a mop. 

"Well, let's get workin'…"
    
    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We collapsed on the living room couch a long while later, sometime in the late afternoon. The house was sparkling; everything from the floors to the widows to Mimey. True, we could of been done quicker, but I got lost under the trash in Satoshi's room. He had to spend a good part of an hour digging me out. Hiroshi helped a bit, but he spent most of the time trying to keep Takeshi and his Hawaiian fever at bay. The Blind One eventually lost the Hawaiian insanity. But then… Well, let's just say that Takeshi's version of "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" is _much _worse than Shigeru and mine's. _Especially _when he sings it in yellow boxers into Hanako-san's hairbrush… 

"Well," Satoshi said, standing up and brushing himself off, "You ready to go?" I nodded, and he grabbed my hand, pulling me up. Unfortunately, he pulled too hard, and we went flying across the room, landing on the floor-- me laying directly on top of him. We blushed, but I found myself unable to move. It was almost as if I was in a trance. I couldn't look away from those deep chocolate eyes. 

It seemed as though Satoshi felt the same thing. He kept staring into my aqua orbs. Then, suddenly, he started to close his eyes slightly, bring his head up towards mine. I copied the motion, our faces soon inches apart. I had no clue what was possessing me to do it, but I couldn't stop. 

A loud cough was heard from the stairs. We quickly parted, blushing, and looked to Hiroshi at the stairs. "Please, guys, not in the living room… You just cleaned it!" My face was crimson, as was Satoshi's, and we got to our feet as fast as we could. 

I brushed my clothes off, and so did Satoshi. Then he coughed, grabbed my hand, and we dashed out the door. Soon after we reached the darkening street, he let go of my hand, and stuck his into the pockets of his jacket. We walked on in an awkward silence until we reached the small restaurant.

The restaurant wasn't really a fancy place. It wasn't that it looked bad; it was quite the opposite. Everything was clean and neat, and I liked it. Up front was a little stage with a microphone, probably for those brave or drunken souls that wanted to belt out lyrics to horribly-overplayed songs. But, all in all, it was a nice little place. 

We were seated at a booth near the back corner. It was dim, and a little chilly, but otherwise fine. A waiter came over and handed us our menus, then scurried off to the table beside us, his eyes always hidden. He seemed a little familiar, but I couldn't quite place where from… 

Opening the menu, I scanned the list, then looked over to Satoshi. "Sato-chan, talk. Now. Or I sic Tenshi on you." He sweatdropped, and then said, "All right… What do you want to talk about?" I thought for a second. 

"No clue. What're you having?" 

"I'm going with a burger. You?"

I closed the menu. "Same." We sat in silence again. Satoshi started playing with the salt shaker, and I looked around. This "date" was certainly not going well… 

~*~*~*~*((ALL-KNOWING 3RD POV))*~*~*~*~

At the next table, a group of three guys and three girls watched the couple. The youngest-looking one sighed. "Okay, this is _not _going well. What're we gonna do?" The male next to her put a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to be quiet. The girl only rolled her eyes. 

"Oh, stop it, Shigeru. They can't hear us. These booth walls are nearly soundproof. Plus, do you think _anyone _can hear with those two sake-high Rockets and their Meowth singing? Don't be a baka." With that, she looked through the gap between the wall and seat at the couple on their would-be date. 

A waiter walked over. In a false-deepened tone, he asked, "May I take your order?" Once again, the youngest one rolled her eyes and swatted him. "Tempral, you can be _such_ a baka sometimes…" He grinned. 

"I love you too, Ara. Now, can I take your orders?" She mushroom-sighed. "Sure," she said. "Dana? You go first, and I'll go last." An older female, about the same age as Tempral, nodded, detaching herself from her favorite blonde. She gave her order, quickly re-attaching herself to Hiroshi, who sweatdropped and gave his order. Then it went along the line; Scrat, then Takeshi, followed by Shigeru, and ending with Ara. Tempral scurried off again, and the group went back to plotting. 

The red-head in the very corner of the booth sat deep in thought, tightly glomping a sweatdropping Takeshi. Meanwhile, Ara stared intently at Kasumi and Satoshi. Dana, too, was thinking up a way of getting the date rolling. At the same time, she was doing her best not to choke the almost-purple Hiroshi next to her. 

Suddenly, the only male at the table _not _being glomped sat up straight. "Think, you bakas, think! Detach yourselves from Hiroshi and Takeshi until we figure out a way to break the ice in their date!" The two females glared at him before reluctantly letting go of the suffocating males. Tempral came back with the food, and they dug in, still thinking. 

Ara stopped eating slowly, a dazed look coming into her eyes. She put down her food and smiled slightly to herself. The rest of the group stared as she stood up, and walked up to the man near the microphone up front. "Hn," Takeshi said, mouth filled with food, "musht haf got an idear." 

The man nodded at Ara as she talked to him. Then the long-haired brunette stood on stage, tossing the Rockets off stage. Musashi and Koijiro stumbled away, Meowth intact, mumbling about "catching that damned yellow rat." Ara sweatdropped before taking the stage. 

"Hello, minna-san!" she said, as enthusiastic as she could manage with Shigeru munching on her food back at the table, "My name is Ara Moon, and I'm gonna be singing a song for you all. I promise I'll be much better than the last drunks that were up here."

She managed to get a few laughs from those bored enough to actually listen to the amateur singers perform. The fifteen-year-old noticed that things were not progressing well with the couple. The onyx-haired one was fiddling with a napkin, and Kasumi was attempting to fling a container of butter in between two "goal posts" she had set up, a knife and a spoon. 

_Oh, I hope to Serebii this works_… Taking in a deep breath, she continued. "I'm going to be singing a song titled, 'Starry Night.' I wrote it myself a while ago, so please bear with me." Tossing the balding man a CD, she said, "It's track five." The just before music played the young girl got ready to say one last thing. 

"This song is for the cute little couple in the back, Kasumi Yawa and Satoshi Ketchum." At this, they both looked up at her. Ara smiled, and winked at them. She knew that they were confused; after all, they had no clue who she was. But they still blushed. At the table, Scrat gave her the thumbs-up sign. On stage, Ara nodded. 

She made eye contact with Kasumi. _{This song's from your point of view, 'Sumi. C'mon, you know you love him. Now just tell him, you baka!} _The fiery-haired one stared in shock at the hazel-eyed one. The latter smiled. _{What? You thought you were the only one here with some psychic abilities?}_

As the music began to play, Ara closed her eyes in concentration. She took a deep breath, readying herself. Opening her eyes and pushing away her nervousness, she began her song.

  
~*~*~*~*((KASUMI POV))*~*~*~*~

****

The girl on stage started to sing. I had to admit, she wasn't bad at it. My face was burning red, though. Why was it that someone I didn't even know knew about my feelings for Satoshi? And how the _hell_ did she even know my name?

Well, that was easy: she was a psychic. _Duh, Kasumi. You're such a baka_… I looked up, and saw Satoshi staring at me. I blushed. "Erm…" 

****

"I've waited all of my life

For the day when love appears

Like a fairy tale in days gone by

He will rescue me from my fears"

Several people in the room got up and started dancing. Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn that I'd seen Shigeru slow-dancing with Hiroshi. But what was the chance of that happening?

Satoshi stood up, and I looked up at him, almost confused. He walked up in front of me, and offered me his hand. "M-may I have this dance, 'Sumi?" I nodded, taking his hand, and we stood. He pulled me close to him, and we danced slowly. 

****

It felt good, being so close to him, feeling him move. I leaned my head into his shoulder. Behind me, I thought I heard a group yell, "Yes!" but I couldn't be sure. The swaying of our bodies and the words to her song blocked out everything… 

****

"And now I feel him standing close to me

And how can I tell him what he means to me?

My heart stands still-- has he come?"

The girl on stage was completely concentrated on her song. She was really putting her all into the song dedicated to Satoshi and I. As my body was turned towards her, I saw her wink. I smiled at her over Satoshi's shoulder, and she gave me a thumbs-up.

Soon, I buried my head into the ebony-headed boy's shoulder. Our hearts were pounding in our chests so close; it almost felt as if they were one. _Mmm_…I thought to myself in a detached blissful manner, _one with Satoshi. Maybe in my dreams_… 

My mind wandered back to the night before, the one I had spent with Satoshi just staring at the stars. Stars had always been meaningful to me, just like water. Every night, I would wish upon a star for freedom from my cursed life, a friend, a love… How could this girl be putting my feelings into words so much better than I ever could?

****

"Oh, starry night

Is this the moment I dream of?

Oh, starry night

Tell me, is he my own true love?"

Satoshi's arms were gently wrapped around me. For once, I wasn't blushing at our closeness. I was too lost in thought to notice. 

Things truly had changed since I left Pallet to Saffron, and again when I came to Ecruteak. In Pallet, I only knew the pain and sadness bestowed upon me by my father and the other townspeople. Everyone there had been cruel to me, in fact… 

No, wait, they hadn't _all _been cruel. I could remember at least two other children who had been kind. How could I forget? The last one had been on the last day of abuse before my escape… 

~*~*~*~*((TEN YEARS EARLIER))*~*~*~*~ 

The sun was slowly sinking behind the quiet hills of Pallet Town. Most of the children were back at home with their adoring parents, preparing for a family dinner. That was why I always left for the park about then. No children around to ridicule me. 

I sat on the small swing, nursing a wound on my knee. Father had been drunk the day before; that, plus his usual anger, equaled extreme pain on my behalf. Luckily, I had managed to escape from him with only a few scratches and bruises. Still, the cut stung. 

My mid-blue hair lay across my shoulders and over my eyes. I near-silent sob escaped my lips as tears began to stream slowly down my cheeks. _Why? Why does he do this? I never asked to be this way. I don't _want _to be this way. Why doesn't he ever leave me alone? _

I heard the sound of footsteps in front of me, and looked up. There stood a short boy with tanned skin. Somewhat long night-black hair poked out from beneath a red and white Pokemon League cap. His chocolate eyes looked concerned. He sat on the swing next to me in silence. 

"Hey," he said, quietly, "Are you okay? You look sad." I lifted my head, staring at him. "Y-You're not going to make fun of me, or push me?" Most, if not all, of the kids in town knew that I was a "freak," and either stayed away from me or taunted me. This boy only tilted his head, confused, before answering. 

"No. Why? Do you want me too?" I shook my head. He smiled. "So, what's your name?" I looked at him shyly. Why was he so kind? "My name's Umi Mizuhana. I live in that big house in the corner of town." The boy smiled at me, and walked behind me. I stared at my dangling feet. 

Suddenly, he popped his head over my shoulder. "Boo!" he yelled, and I giggled. Then, he grabbed the ropes of the swing. "Hey, you want me to push you, Umi?" he asked, and I nodded. _I don't care why he's so nice_, I thought to myself, giggling as I went higher, _as long as he's here with me_. 

After a while, he stopped, and we sat on the grass around the playground. He noticed the cut on my knee, and reached into his pocket. Then, he gently placed a bandage on it. I smiled, thanking him. 

We laid there until the sun painted the sky crimson. What we talked about didn't matter; the subjects varied from the mean boy near Ookido-hakase's house to our favorite Pokemon. 

"I'm gonna be the greatest Pokemon Master ever!" the boy exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. I giggled and his enthusiasm. "Well, if you're going to become the greatest Pokemon Master, then I'll become the greatest Water Master! Then, maybe we'll meet up somewhere!" 

The boy laying on his back next to me smiled dreamily. "Yeah… Hey, Umi?" he asked, quietly. I looked at him questioningly. "Do you think that, one day, we could get married? You know, when we're twenty or something?" I smiled, and nodded. 

"Sure! It'll be great!" And so, we lay on our backs. I found my hand laying in his. It wasn't really a romantic hold; after all, we were only six. But dreaming of a future filled with happiness was enough to make in feel special to us. 

He suddenly sat up. "Well, Umi, I gotta go. Mom wants me home before dark." I nodded. I, too, had to sneak home soon. "Will I ever see you again?" He laughed, smiling.

"Of course, Umi! Once we're Masters! And who knows? Maybe one day before that you'll fish me out of a stream!" We both laughed at the absurdity of that happening. I stuck out my pinkie finger to him. "Promise?" He smiled, nodding and intertwining his finger. 

"Promise." He leaned up and kissed me on the cheek. Then he reached back into his pocket and pulled out a ring. It was a golden Dratini that wrapped around the owner's finger. It looked expensive, but he slipped it on my finger. 

He smiled again, hope-filled chocolate eyes shining. "Daddy gave it to me before he went away. He told me to give it to a special girl when I met her, and I think you're pretty special, Umi. Now never forget me, 'kay?" I nodded, amazed. Then he ran off into the sunset. 

And that night was the last one I had to deal with my father for. Tenshi appeared that night and saved me from him. We left that empty little town for Saffron, never looking back. 

"Every night I think of him

Here in my lonely room

Waiting for my prince to come

Wondering if he'll be here soon"

I looked down over Satoshi's back at my hand. Ever since that day, I hadn't removed the ring. It was a part of me. Satoshi noticed that I was dazed, and said, "Hey, you alive there, 'Sumi?"

Nodding, I murmured into his shoulder, "Yeah, I'm alive, Satoshi." I moved my hand, and he noticed the ring. I could see a small flash of disappointment in his brown eyes. 

"Where'd you get that ring from? You engaged or something?" Surprised, I pulled back, and looked into his sad eyes. Glancing at the ring, then back to him, I said, "I don't know. It was a while ago. But that doesn't matter now, because I'll never see him again. I guess childhood promises don't last as long as you think they will at the time, eh?" My voice was sad, like Satoshi's, and he grabbed my hand, inspecting the ring.

He looked up at me, smiling slightly, still holding my hand. I noticed that we were sill swaying to the music, though that wasn't the main focus anymore. 

****

"And I sit patiently, waiting for a sign

And I hope that his heart longs for mine

He calls my name, is he the one?" 

"Ya know, 'Sumi, I used to have a ring like that. My father gave it to me before he died. He said," Satoshi paused, making his voice gruff, "'Satoshi, give this to a special girl you meet when you get older. Now, don't waste it. Give it to the right one.' A year after he died, I gave it to this girl who I thought was special. I know we were only kids at the time, but I really thought that she was special. Pretty, too. She had shoulder-length blue hair, and light skin… Anyway, I looked for her the next day, but she was gone." 

Satoshi twisted my finger gently, examining it. "It really is pretty, isn't it?" I nodded, and continued dancing in silence. _So, Satoshi met someone special as well? Well, I hope he meets her again. He'd be much better off with someone more normal than me_…

I stopped my thoughts, blinking. _Wait a second-- blue hair? Father gone? Same ring? _My head bumped into something as we moved. _Same hat?!? That boy_…_ He was Satoshi!_

****

"Oh, starry night

Is this the moment I dream of?

Oh, starry night

Tell me, is he my own true love?"

So that was it. I had promised to marry Satoshi when I was little. But, even I had said that childhood promises don't last as long as intended. Looking down, I sighed. 

_I'm not the same person as I was then. Umi Mizuhana is dead. And she's the one he wants. Not red-headed Kasumi Yawa, but blue-haired Umi Mizuhana. And she's long gone. That chapter of my life is long forgotten_…

Satoshi looked at me. "That girl and you have the same beautiful eyes. They're kinda like sapphires with little emeralds mixed in." I stared at him, amazed. _"If someone would have actually taken the time to look deep into them, they would see the emerald shards blended in with the sapphires. But to all those whom saw my eyes without truly observing, they were only two serene aqua orbs that belonged to the weird kid down the street." _I had thought that ten years ago. He… he had actually taken the chance to look into them?

"Well, almost the same. Your eyes look different than hers. Yours look clearer, almost brighter, and certainly happier. Her eyes looked sad and pained most of the time…" I smiled sadly to myself. _You don't know the half of it. _

He shrugged slightly. "But Pallet is in the past. I'm here now, and I've got new friends and new memories. So why should I dwell on then, when I've got now?" I smiled into his shoulder, whispering, "Couldn't of said it better myself…" 

"What did you say?" he asked, looking down at me in his arms. I blushed slightly, hurriedly thinking up an excuse. I noticed the music in the background had overlapped, the song gaining more strength. I, too, felt stronger. Looking up into his eyes, I said his name quietly. "Satoshi…" Perhaps I could finally tell him how I felt… 

****

"Oh, starry night

Is he the one that I dream of?

Oh, starry night"

"Yeah?" he mumbled, shaken from a dazed state. I brought my face closer to his. "Satoshi, I…" I sensed that the singer was just about to end her song. 

****

"How will I know? 

Will his love show?"

Some unknown force once again brought his face towards mine. My words were lost as we stared into each other's eyes. Whatever I was going to say was gone from my mind. Apparently, it didn't matter.

****

Is he my own true love?" 

My lips were about to meet his as the song ended. Our eyes were locked. _I never thought I could fall in love with someone's eyes,_ I thought, dazed, _But it seems like I've fallen for his_…

I felt eyes on me from somewhere near our table. But the only eyes I was conscious of were Satoshi's deep brown ones. My breath mingled with his as our lips were about to meet. 

Suddenly, explosions blasted through the front of the restaurant. The force sent us flying across the floor, and Satoshi threw himself onto me to block me from the heat and wind. I cursed silently, one hand reaching towards my pokeballs. Evil laughter resounded through my body as I pushed myself onto one arm and glared through the dust. Satoshi did the same. 

"Who the hell are you?!?" I yelled at them. A tanned and well-built blonde stared at me, a cruel smirk on his lips. He looked to his silver-headed partner, and then walked towards me. A group of black-uniformed people gracefully entered in. 

"That isn't any of your business, little missy," he said, smirking and grabbing me by the hair, "but we are the finest members of Team Rocket." Two of the Rockets in black, grunts as they were known, came up behind Satoshi, grabbing him and standing him upright. "You, little boy," the blonde said, "have been a big trouble to the Boss. We've come to get rid of you." Satoshi's eyes opened wide, then went back to a cold glare. My eyes were almost a mirror of his. I felt them flash a dead black color, and quickly changed them back. 

The blonde let go of me as I was transferred to the hold of more grunts. He approached Satoshi, and I noticed that all around the room, grunts were robbing the customers of their Pokemon. Anger boiled within me.

"Listen to me, you little bastard," I growled at the blonde, and Satoshi looked a little surprised by my anger. I continued without care. "If you lay even _one _finger on him, I swear, I will _kill _you," I said, my voice cold and deadly. He looked a little taken aback, and a voice scolded him from behind me. 

The silver-haired one came in front of me, dragging a finger along my chin. I spat on his hand. "Now, now, no need to get prissy with us," the feminine-looking slim Rocket said, "It's not you we're after. We'll just take your boyfriend to the boss, collect our reward, and we'll be out of your pretty red hair." I wrinkled my face in disgust as the Rocket continued to touch my face. Suddenly, his other hand came flying out, slapping me in the and face nailing me in the stomach. 

My body flew forward, but the grunts held me back. "Kasumi!" Satoshi yelled, worried and angry. I looked up at him, my eyes showing that I would be fine. Meanwhile the blonde looked at the grunts that were scattered around the tied-up humans. "All right, grab the Pokemon and let's get the hell out of here!" They nodded, exiting as gracefully as the had entered, Pokemon in tact. I noticed that I still had mine with me. 

The gray/red/blue-clothed Rocket stood calmly before me as I dropped to the ground. He kneeled down and grabbed my face gently. "Farewell," he said calmly, face never changing. As he walked out to the black helicopter, he turned back to face me and said, "Oh, and by the way, the name's Bashou." He waved from the helicopter as it took off. From behind him, I saw Satoshi struggling. "Hope to see you soon!" he said, in a way that almost seemed cruel. 

I pulled myself up painfully, and ran out the door to the street. Blood dripped down my chin, and my abdomen hurt like hell. But I had some sort of mental immunity to the abuse. "Get back here with Sato-chan!" I yelled, looking up frantically. The helicopter kept on going. "Sato-chan!" 

Soon the helicopter was out of my sight, disappearing into the crimson sunset. I dropped to my knees, tears threatening to escape from my aqua eyes. "Sato-chan…" I mumbled, one hand holding my stomach where I was hit. 

I curled and twisted my legs so I was sitting on them. Tossing my head back, tears flying, I yelled in desperation and despair. "Sato-chaaaaaan!!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eee, I finished! Okay, I know the chapter was crappy, but, eh… It's my attempt to escape from Writer's Block. *sigh* Cursed thing, isn't it? Well, I swear, this chapter was never supposed to even_ exist_. It appeared randomly. I guess that's what I get for letting my hands take control… ^_^; Well, I think I'm going to change the rating because nothing real R-rated has happened yet, and because only PG-13 things and below appear on the page… thing. (Am I the only one who finds that evil?) But, eh… I'm not sure. Just letting you know now. In case anyone ever bothers reading this… *wanders off to plan out the next chapter* Ah, yes one last note: I'm thinking of starting a **mailing list** so that anyone who wants to know when I post/update my Pokemon fics (the only things I write -_-) can be notified. So, if you want to join it, email me at **KuroiTenshi36@msn.com **or leave your email in a review. ^_^ 

Questions:

1) *ponders questions* Erm… Anyone got ideas for the next chapter? ^^;

2) Does anyone know if I'm characterizing Bashou and Buson right? *or spelling them correctly, at that?… -_-*

3) *sings* Erm, what Pokemon do you think Kasumi should have? (Any of your choice, and I'll pick the ones I like, cuz I need ideas.) 


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